Nicosia (AFP)
Argentine star Lionel Messi and Chilean goalkeeper Sergio Livingston are equal in the record for the players who have played the most matches in the history of the Copa America finals, with 34 matches each.
14 players played at least 25 matches in the Copa America tournament, more than a century since its start.
This tournament was and still is a stage for true football legends in South America and the world.
Many of these players made history in multiple editions of the tournament, and played a large number of matches.
We take a look at the players who have played the most matches in the history of the world’s oldest national team tournament.
1- Chilean Sergio Levingtsson (goalkeeper, 34 matches)
Legendary goalkeeper Sergio Livingstone single-handedly controlled the record for decades.
Livingston played 34 matches, during six editions of the continental championship, with four matches in each of 1941 and 1942, six in each of 1945 and 1953, and seven in each of 1947 and 1949.
1- Argentine Lionel Messi (striker, 34 matches)
Messi, the best scorer in the history of the Argentine national team, can hold the record for the most matches played in Copa America during the 2024 US edition, which he currently shares with Levingtsson.
The current world champion played six matches in each of 2007, 2015 and 2019, four matches in 2011, five matches in 2016 and seven matches in 2021, in which he won the title.
3-Brazilian Zizinho (midfielder, 33 matches)
He is not only one of the top scorers in the oldest national team tournament in world football, but also Brazil’s record holder in this tournament. His astonishing 17 goals across six editions are as impressive as his 33 appearances in the tournament.
Its matches were distributed in 1942 (4), 1945 (6), 1946 (5), 1949 (7), 1953 (5) and 1957 (6).
4- Bolivian Victor Agustin Ugarte (striker, 30 matches)
He is the top scorer for the Bolivian national team in the history of Copa America, and the Bolivian player who has played the most matches in the continental championship.
Ugarte participated in 30 matches between 1947 and 1963, including 5 out of 6 matches, when his country was crowned champion in 1963.
5- Peruvian Yoshimar Yoton (midfielder, 27 matches)
The multi-talented Yotun can occupy more than one position on the pitch, and he is one of the key players who contributed to leading the Peruvian national team to three podium finishes in the five editions of the Copa America that it played since 2011:
He played 27 matches in the finals, including the final (2019) and finishing third in 2011, 2015 and 2021.
5- Colombian Carlos Valderrama (midfielder, 27 matches)
Copa America had the honor of enjoying the talent, charisma and distinctive hairstyle of Carlos Alberto Valderrama in five editions during which he played 27 matches between 1987 and 1995.
Valderrama is a true legend in the Colombian national team and in South American football as a whole.
5- Chilean Gary Medel (defender, 27 matches)
Medel, who is strong and solid, was one of the keys to the Chilean national team’s defense, which won the continental title twice in 2015 and 2016. He played his 27 matches in a row, from 2011 to 2021, confirming his importance and legacy in the ranks of his country’s national team.
5- Colombian Lionel Alvarez (midfielder, 27 matches)
“El Tierno” is considered one of the players who formed a great generation of Colombian football in the 1980s and 1990s, as he participated in 27 matches in the Copa America between 1987 and 1995. Colombia finished third three times when Alvarez was in their ranks.
* Argentine Javier Mascherano (26 matches) between 2004 and 2016, and Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, Peruvians Paulo Guerrero and Cornelio Heredia, Brazilian goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel and Ecuadorian Alex Aginaga each played 25 matches.
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