Within a few hours, one of the most highly anticipated international tournament will begin as some of the best Latin American teams face each other in the 45th edition of the Copa America.
Only last year, the 44th edition was played. However, with 2016 bringing the 100th anniversary of the tournament, we are going to be delighted with another edition of this prestigious tournament.
Will Lionel Messi finally win his first international trophy with the team? Only time will tell. However, we will focus on the things that the clock has already revealed to us as here are 7 interesting facts about the Copa America…
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#1 Paraguay reached the final without winning a game
In order to reach a final of the tournament, a team must win a few games here and there to ensure their place in the penultimate game of it all. That’s what we know, that’s what we believe. But is it entirely true?
The answer is a glaring no.
In the 2011 edition of the tournament, Paraguay managed to do something no other team ever could. Paraguay managed to sneak into the final without winning a single game. They drew all 3 matches in the group phase, before winning the quarter-final and the semi-final on penalties to seal a place in the final, where they ultimately lost to Uruguay.
They say that a good attack wins games, whereas a great defense wins tournaments. Paraguay’s tight defense almost got them there.
#2 Argentina have contested the most number of finals
After Uruguay, the Argentina National team has been the most successful team in the competition, winning it a mammoth 14 times in their history. However, there is a stat which they wouldn’t like as much as the aforementioned one.
Argentina have played a record 27 times in the final, that’s the good part, However, the unfortunate portion of the story is the fact that they lost 13 of those – a painful number considering that they could have had so many more Copa titles to their names.
#3 Martin Palermo’s penalty curse
Every penalty-taker in the world has missed penalties; be it Cristiano Ronaldo or Matt Le Tissier. There is not a regular spot-kick taker who can claim to have a clean chit when it comes to blasting the ball into the net from the spot.
However, Martin Palermo took missing penalties to another level in the 1999 edition of the Copa America.
In a game that the Albiceleste eventually lost 3-0 to Colombia, Martin Palermo missed not one, not two, but three penalties in a match which perhaps still gives him nightmares to this day.
#4 Oldest tournament
The World Cup might be the most celebrated tournament in the world, followed by the Euros, but when it comes to age, the Copa America is the oldest football tournament in the whole world.
While the World Cup was first played in 1930 and the European Championship was founded in 1960, the Copa America took birth in 1916 — exactly 100 years ago. It is for this reason that we are having another Copa America only a year after it was last held in 2015, a tournament which was won by the host nation – Chile.
#5 100-year-old trophy
This might not sound like an astonishing fact given that the tournament itself is a 100 years old, so it is only logical for its trophy to be 100 years old. However, when you consider that the World Cup trophy itself is only 42 years old, with the initial Jules Rimet trophy being stolen, it makes this antique piece of metal ever so precious.
Unlike the first World Cup trophy, the Copa America trophy has been kept safe from the hands of robbers. Hence, this vintage trophy has witnessed itself being handled by great players from different eras.
However, the century-old trophy will not be presented to the winner of this year’s tournament and instead a special commemorative trophy has been created celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the Copa America, which will be lifted by the winning team.
#6 Maradona and Pele never won
Isn’t this absurd? Two of the greatest South American players of all time never laid their hands on the highest regional honour. While Pele was still active, Brazil could never lift the trophy as the likes of Argentina, Peru and Uruguay beat them to it.
Also, during Pele’s best years as a footballer, the tournament took a long break of 8 long years from 1967 to 1975.
When the Argentine legend was active, Brazil and Uruguay celebrated victories. To add more salt to the wound, Argentina won the 1991 edition — a tournament he couldn’t participate in due to being banned for using cocaine.
#7 First Copa America to be played outside South America
So far, all the 44 edition before this were played in various countries within the borders of the South American continent. However, to commemorate this special edition, something different was done.
The Copa America celebrates the completion of its 100 years by playing the tournament outside of South America, in the United States of America, for the first time in its history.
The competition promises to be one of the best one yet as some teams from the North American continent are also participating this year, making it a tournament to remember.
