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Copa America 2015 is scheduled to kick off on 11 June this year in Chile with 12 teams split into three groups. We take a quick look at the top goalscorers in the competition since its inception in 1916.
The late Norberto Mendez is the highest goalscorer in the history of the Copa America. The inside forward accumulated 17 goals in the competition as he helped Argentina win the title three times (1945, 1946 and 1947). His defining moment came on 28 December 1947 when he scored a brace against a formidable Uruguay side. The 3-1 win over Uruguay at the Estadio George Capwell ensured that Argentina secured their third consecutive Copa America.
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Mendez is tied at the top with Zizinho on 17 goals in spite of leading them to the Copa America title just once in 1949. Zizinho never topped the goalscoring charts in any of the tournaments he took part in though. Idolized by the likes of Pele, it is certainly no surprise to find Zizinho among the top goalscorers of the tournament.
Having failed to win it in the 1937 and 1939 editions of the Copa America or the South American Championship, Severino Varela successfully led his side to the title in 1942. He remains tied in third place with 15 goals to his name. It has been said that his immaculate ball control and heading prowess singled him out as a great talent. He is also known to have an aggressive attitude while playing. He netted a hat-trick in the 7-0 win over Ecuador at Montevideo in the title winning tournament.
Teodoro Fernadez a.k.a Lolo is the symbol of Peruvian footballing legacy. Having captained the side from 1935 to 1947, Lolo is tied with Severino Varela as the third highest top scorer in the Copa America with 15 goals. Lolo is fondly remembered as El Cañonero (The Cannoneer) courtesy of his magnificent centre forward play and his shooting prowess.
Iconic Argentine forward Gabriel Batistuta is in number five having scored 13 goals in the tournament. An array of brilliant performances from Batistuta saw him help Argentina to Copa America titles in 1991 and 1993. He finished with the Golden Boot in both these competitions.
While Zizinho (34) has played the most matches in the Copa America, Angel Romano (8) has featured in the most number of editions of the tournament.
| # | Player | Country | Goals | Copa Americas played in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norberto Mendez | Argentina | 17 | 3 (1945, 1946, 1947) |
| Zizinho | Brazil | 17 | 6 (1942, 1945, 1946, 1949, 1953, 1957) | |
| 3 | Severino Varela | Uruguay | 15 | 3 (1937, 1939, 1942) |
| Teodoro Fernandez | Peru | 15 | 6 (1935, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1942, 1947) | |
| 5 | Gabriel Batistuta | Agrentina | 13 | 3 (1991, 1993, 1995) |
| Jair Rosa Pinto | Brazil | 13 | 3 (1945, 1946, 1949) | |
| Jose Manuel Moreno | Argentina | 13 | 3 (1945, 1946, 1947) | |
| Ademir | Brazil | 13 | 4 (1945, 1946, 1949, 1953) | |
| Hector Scarone | Uruguay | 13 | 7 (1917, 1919, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1929) | |
| 10 | Roberto Porta | Uruguay | 12 | 4 (1939, 1941, 1942, 1945) |
