Argentina ended their long wait to secure the 2021 Copa America title when Lionel Messi finally lifted the trophy as captain in Rio de Janeiro.
Messi’s success came on the back of years of frustration and eventual defeat, with the former Barcelona superstar finally winning a major international title with La Albiceleste.
That victory was somewhat overshadowed by their brilliant run to glory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but Argentina are among the favorites to lift the trophy again in the United States in 2024.
Did Argentina qualify for Copa America 2024?
All 10 CONMEBOL members automatically qualified for the 2024 Copa America, with Argentina as the reigning champions.
The last 16 teams will be made up of six CONCACAF countries, with four having already qualified and two more joining after the play-offs in March 2024.
Argentina’s Copa America record
Ahead of Copa America 2024, holders Argentina are level with rivals Uruguay as the joint most successful nation in the competition’s history, with 15 titles each.
| Nation | No. of Titles | Years Won |
| Argentina | 15 | 1921, 1925, 1927, 1929, 1937, 1941,1945, 1946, 1947, 1955, 1957, 1959, 1991, 1993, 2021 |
| Uruguay | 15 | 1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1956, 1959, 1967, 1983, 1987, 1995, 2011 |
| Brazil | 9 | 1919, 1922, 1949, 1989, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2019 |
| Chile | 2 | 2015, 2016 |
| Paraguay | 2 | 1953, 1979 |
| Peru | 2 | 1939, 1975 |
| Bolivia | 1 | 1963 |
| Colombia | 1 | 2001 |
Argentina have qualified for all 47 editions of the Copa America, however, they have opted to withdraw on four occasions in 1939, 1949, 1953 and 2001.
| Team | Games Played | Wins | Draws* | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against |
| Argentina | 202 | 127 | 42 | 33 | 474 | 182 |
*Draws include games won or lost via penalty shootouts.
Argentina Copa America most goals, appearances
Unsurprisingly, Messi is Argentina’s leading appearance maker at the Copa America as he aims for more records in 2024.
Messi is tied with Chile’s Sergio Livingstone with 34 games played at the Copa America across six tournaments.
The Inter Miami star also has 13 Copa America goals, level with Argentina greats Gabriel Batistuta and Juan Manuel Moreno. Norberto Mendez leads the way on 17.
| Name | No. of matches | No. of tournaments |
| Lionel Messi | 34 | 6 |
| Javier Mascherano | 26 | 5 |
| Sergio Aguero | 24 | 5 |
| Angel Di Maria | 23 | 5 |
| Javier Zanetti | 22 | 5 |
| Nicolas Otamendi | 22 | 4 |
| Name | No. of goals |
| Norberto Mendez | 17 |
| Lionel Messi | 13 |
| Gabriel Batistuta | 13 |
| Jose Manuel Moreno | 13 |
| Herminio Maschio | 11 |
| Angel Labruna | 10 |
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