Copa America is one of the most popular international football tournaments globally. The competition featured exceptionally talented and skilled footballers like Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Neymar, and Luis Suarez. But are they among the best Copa America top scorers in history?
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The competition's history dates back to 1916, when the first event occurred in Argentina. Uruguay won the inaugural edition. Since then, nine nations have won it. Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay are the most successful teams in the tournament. This article lists renowned Copa America's top scorers and assists providers.
Copa America's top scorers all time
Argentine star Lionel Messi is widely considered the greatest footballer of all time. He is also among the leading Copa America top scorers now and of all time. Messi's trailing another Argentine legend, Norberto Méndez, who is the Copa America top scorer as of 2022.
Goals
Player
Country
17
Norberto Méndez
Zizinho
Argentina
Brazil
15
Severino Varela
Teodoro Fernández
Uruguay
Peru
14
Eduardo Vargas
Paolo Guerrero
Chile
Peru
13
Gabriel Batistuta
José Manuel Moreno
Jairzinho
Héctor Scarone
Lionel Messi
Argentina
Argentina
Brazil
Uruguay
Argentina
Copa America's top scorers' list consists of players who have retired from the sport. Most played in the 20th century and have retired from the sport. Eduardo Vargas, Paolo Guerrero, and Lionel Messi are the only active players on the list as of 2023. Legendary Brazilian forward Ronaldo bagged ten goals in 13 matches during his career.
South America's top scorers all time
Here is a breakdown of Copa America's most prolific goal scorers, including their Copa titles and games played in the tournament as of February 2022.
11. Lionel Messi
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Messi joins Norberto Méndez, Gabriel Batistuta, and José Manuel Moreno as Argentina's Copa America's top scorers of all time. He also lifted the World Cup (2022) and an Olympic Gold Medal (2008).
- Goals: 13
- Matches: 34
- Copa titles: 1 (2021)
10. Héctor Scarone
The Uruguayan is one of the most decorated players, having won four Copa America titles, two Olympic Gold medals (1924, 1928) and a World Cup (1930). Hector played for Nacional and later coached Real Madrid.
9. Jairzinho
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Jair Ventura Filho formed a great partnership with Zizinho and Ademir during the 1940s and 1950s. He was one of the stars in the 1950 World Cup after winning the Copa America in 1949, where he also finished as the best scorer. Jairzinho also won the 1970 World Cup.
- Goals: 13
- Matches: 18
- Copa titles: 1 (1949)
8. José Manuel Moreno
The Argentine legend played in Argentina, Mexico, Chile, and Columbia. As a result, he became the first footballer ever to win league titles in four different countries. Jose was the top scorer of the 1942 edition and won the tournament's best player in 1947.
- Goals: 13
- Matches: 16
- Copa titles: 3 (1941, 1942, 1947)
7. Gabriel Batistuta
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Batistuta ranks among the best strikers of his generation. He won the 1991 Copa America golden boot and joint top scorer in 1995.
6. Paolo Guerrero
The Peru international is quite unpopular to fans globally, but he has scored incredible goals for his country in the continental showpiece. His 14 goals for Peru in Copa America rank him fifth in the tournament's all-time scorers.
- Goals: 14
- Matches: 25
- Copa titles: 0
5. Eduardo Vargas
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The two-times Copa America winner has also found the net 14 times for his country Chile. Vargas is one of the most talented strikers of his generation.
- Goals: 14
- Matches: 23
- Copa titles: 2 (2015, 2016)
4. Teodoro Fernández
Teodoro scored numerous goals in his career, including 15 in Copa America. The Peru international scored 15 times in the tournament and won it once. He also won the golden boot in the 1939 edition with seven goals.
3. Severino Varela
Legendary Uruguayan striker Severino Varela is the joint third-highest scorer in Copa America with 15 goals. He bagged five in the 1937, 1939, and 1942 tournaments.
- Goals: 15
- Matches: 15
- Copa titles: 1 (1942)
2. Zizinho
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The iconic Brazilian midfielder was a prolific goal scorer who scored more goals than the top strikers of his generation. Zizinho won one Copa America title and the World Cup golden ball in 1950. He scored 30 goals in 53 games for the national team.
- Goals: 17
- Matches: 33
- Copa titles: 1 (1949)
1. Norberto Méndez
Norberto Méndez is a former Racing & Huracan star and the joint all-time highest scorer of Copa America. He helped Argentina clinch three consecutive Copa titles and won the golden boot in 1945. Norberto scored 19 goals in 31 games for Argentina.
Copa America's top assists all-time
Lionel Messi tops the list of Copa America top assists of all time. The Argentine has recorded 17 assists in the 34 matches he has played. Carlos Tevez follows him with six assists in 19 games, and Angel di Maria with six in 20 matches.
Assists
Player
Country
Games
17
Lionel Messi
Argentina
34
6
Carlos Tevez
Angel di Maria
Juan Arango
Alexis Sanchez
Argentina
Argentina
Venezuela
Chile
19
20
22
22
5
Charles Aranguiz
Paolo Guerrero
Chile
Peru
20
26
4
Dani Alves
Brazil
19
3
Arturo Vidal
Roberto Carlos
Chile
Brazil
21
21
Copa America top scorer list by country
Argentina is the most prosperous nation in the tournament and the highest team scorer, with 474 goals. They have played 202 matches in 43 editions out of 47. Brazil is second with 430 goals in 191 games.
Country
Goals
Games
Editions
Argentina
474
202
43
Brazil
430
191
37
Uruguay
410
206
45
Chile
291
188
40
Paraguay
264
177
38
Peru
231
161
33
Colombia
142
124
23
Ecuador
134
126
29
Bolivia
108
119
28
Mexico
66
48
10
Humberto Maschio, Javier Ambrois, and Jair are the top scorers in a single competition with nine goals. Maschio and Ambrois tied with nine in 1957, while Jair won the golden boot with nine in 1949. Here is a list of those who scored over five goals in an edition.
Goals
Player (s)
Year
Hosts
9
Humberto Maschio, Javier Ambrois
Jair
1957
1949
Peru
Brazil
8
Nicolás Falero
Rodolfo Micheli
Pele
1947
1955
1959
Ecuador
Chile
Argentina
7
Raúl Toro Julio
Teodoro Fernández
Herminio Masantonio, José Manuel Moreno
José María Medina
Francisco Molina
Adriano
1937
1939
1942
1946
1953
2004
Argentina
Peru
Uruguay
Argentina
Peru
Peru
6
Manuel Seoane
Norberto Méndez, Heleno de Freitas
José Sanfilippo
Carlos Alberto Raffo
Bebeto
Gabriel Batistuta
Luis Hernández
Robinho
Eduardo Vargas
1925
1945
1959
1963
1989
1991
1997
2007
2016
Argentina
Chile
Ecuador
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Bolivia
Venezuela
USA
5
Aurelio González
Juan Marvezzi
Luis Artime
Rivaldo, Ronaldo
Paolo Guerrero
1929
1941
1967
1999
2011
Argentina
Chile
Uruguay
Paraguay
Argentina
Over the years, the Copa America top scorers have scored a few goals because of the physicality of South American football. Lionel Messi was the joint-highest scorer of the latest edition in 2021, alongside Luis Díaz of Colombia, with four goals. Therefore, getting even three goals in the tournament is an outstanding achievement.
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