Copa America Golden Boot winners: Every Golden Boot winner in the history of the tournament

The 2024 Copa America Golden Boot race is expected to be as heated as the battle for the trophy. The Golden Boot is awarded to the player with the most goals in the tournament. Lionel Messi leads the race to win the coveted prize ahead of Vinicius Jr and Darwin Nunez.

Football's best recognizable stars, such as Gabriel Batistuta, Ronaldo, and Paolo Guerrero, have previously won the Golden Boot. In addition to helping their sides win, these players have demonstrated their scoring skills on one of the largest platforms in international sport.

Copa America Golden Boot winners list

Winning the renowned trophy is significant, highlighting a player's ability to succeed under pressure and against some of the world's most formidable defences. Here is a list of Copa America Golden Boot winners through the years, per Optus Sport.

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10. Gabriel Batistuta (1991 and 1995)

• Full name: Gabriel Omar Batistuta
• Date of birth: 1 February 1969
• Age: 55 (as of June 2024)
• Nationality: Argentine

Gabriel Batistuta won the accolade after scoring six goals in the 1991 Chilean competition. The striker led Argentina to the final before losing to Brazil. He also won it in 1995 with four goals after guiding his country to the title.

9. Luis Hernandez (1997)

• Full name: Luis Arturo Hernández Carreón
• Date of birth: 22 December 1968
• Age: 55 (as of June 2024)
• Nationality: Mexican

The 1997 Copa America Golden Boot winner was the well-known Mexican attacker Luis Hernández. During the Bolivian tournament, he scored six goals, displaying his remarkable goal-scoring skills.

8. Ronaldo Nazario (1999)

• Full name: Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima
• Date of birth: 18 September 1976
• Age: 47 (as of June 2024)
• Nationality: Brazilian

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The legendary Brazilian footballer won the Copa America Golden Boot in 1999. Ronaldo displayed his outstanding goal-scoring skills in Paraguay, finishing with five goals. He scored in their 3-0 win over Uruguay in the final.

7. Víctor Aristizábal (2001)

• Full name: Víctor Hugo Aristizábal Posada
• Date of birth: 9 December 1971
• Age: 52 (as of June 2024)
• Nationality: Colombian

In 2001, renowned Colombian striker Víctor Aristizábal took home the coveted trophy. With six goals, he emerged as the tournament's best scorer. His outstanding play was crucial to Colombia's victory, as they went on to win the trophy for the first time.

6. Adriano (2004)

• Full name: Adriano Leite Ribeiro
• Date of birth: 17 February 1982
• Age: 42 (as of June 2024)
• Nationality: Brazilian

Former Brazilian striker Adriano won the Copa America Golden Boot in 2004. He was the tournament's top scorer with seven goals, demonstrating his extraordinary goal-scoring ability in Peru. Adriano helped Brazil win the competition after bagging a later equalizer against Argentina in the final, forcing a penalty shootout, where they won 4-2.

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5. Robinho (2007)

• Full name: Robson de Souza
• Date of birth: 25 January 1984
• Age: 40 (as of June 2024)
• Nationality: Brazilian

Robinho took home the 2007 top scorers' trophy. He put on an incredible display throughout the event held in Venezuela. The legendary striker scored six goals to take the lead in scoring. His efforts were essential to Brazil's victory in the competition.

4. Paolo Guerrero (2011 and 2015)

• Full name: José Paolo Guerrero Gonzáles
• Date of birth: 1 January 1984
• Age: 40 (as of June 2024)
• Nationality: Peruvian

The prolific Peruvian striker Paolo Guerrero has earned the Copa America Golden Boot twice. In 2015, he and Eduardo Vargas split the trophy after each netted four goals in the Chilean competition. In 2011, Guerrero scored five goals and won the trophy. His efforts significantly contributed to Peru's third-place result in Argentina.

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3. Eduardo Vargas (2015 and 2016)

• Full name: Eduardo Jesús Vargas Rojas
• Date of birth: 20 November 1989
• Age: 34 (as of June 2024)
• Nationality: Chilean

Eduardo Vargas has bagged the renowned trophy twice in his career. He had his first in 2015 and shared the prize with Paolo Guerrero, each with four goals. Vargas was instrumental in Chile's triumphant campaign, resulting in their first-ever home championship.

Vargas went on to win the Golden Boot in 2016 after totalling six goals. During the tournament in the United States, he displayed outstanding play, scoring crucial goals during the final rounds as Chile successfully defended their title.

2. Everton Soares (2019)

• Full name: Everton Sousa Soares
• Date of birth: 22 March 1996
• Age: 28 (as of June 2024)
• Nationality: Brazilian

Brazilian attacker Everton Soares won the lucrative title in 2019. He scored three goals and helped his team win the championship. Soares was one of the competition's top players because of his ability to score vital goals.

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1. Lionel Messi (2021)

• Full name: Lionel Andrés Messi
• Date of birth: 24 June 1987
• Age: 36 (as of June 2024)
• Nationality: Argentine

The Argentine skipper won the Copa America Golden Boot in 2021. Lionel Messi scored four goals in the campaign and helped Argentina win its first championship in 28 years.

He scored goals against Chile and Paraguay in the group stage, and his contributions were crucial to Argentina's advancement to the finals.

Frequently asked questions

The Copa America Golden Boot is one of the most sought-after awards due to the fierce rivalry and enthusiasm of the South American football scene. Here are the frequently asked questions about the Copa America Golden Boot winners.

Who has had the most assists in the history of Copa America?

Lionel Messi has 17 assists. He leads all assisters in Copa America history and outperforms all other competitors.

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Who is Copa America's all-time top scorer?

Messi needs four more goals to tie record-holders Norberto Mendez and Zizinho, having scored 13 Copa America goals in his career.

Who has the most Copa America titles?

Throughout the competition's history, Uruguay has won 15 Copa Americas, including its inaugural two in 1916 and 1917. Argentina is tied with Uruguay for the all-time Copa America championships at 15.

Which South American country has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup?

Since its 1938 debut, Venezuela's national football team has been among the worst in South America and has never advanced to the FIFA World Cup.

Who are the past Copa America Golden Ball winners?

Lionel Messi tops the list of Copa America Golden Ball winners, having won it twice (2021 and 2015). According to GiveMeSport, the award given to the best player in the tournament began in 1987. Fifteen players have won it since its inception, including Neymar, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Luis Suarez, and Alexis Sanchez.

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Final word

The Copa America Golden Boot is one of the most sought-after awards for any striker or forward. Some of the best footballers have performed outstandingly in the Copa America competition and won the coveted prize for scoring the most goals.

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