For more than a century, Copa America has hosted the most prominent scorers in South America. Who are the best scorers in the history of their participation in the continental championship?
Argentine Norberto Mendes (17 goals) Mendes, nicknamed “Tocho,” was one of the most prominent talents of his generation. He led Albi Celeste to an unprecedented treble between 1945 and 1947. He was the top scorer in the 1945 edition, equal to Brazilian Heleno de Freitas (6 goals), and one of the rare players to score a hat-trick in a match between Brazil and Argentina, which he also achieved in 1945.
Brazilian Zizinho (17), one of the most prominent scorers in the history of the tournament, was a midfielder. The former Flamengo, Pango and Sao Paulo player scored goals in six editions, starting from 1942 until 1957. The most notable of which was his scoring a hat-trick against Chile in 1946. He won the title in 1949.
Peruvian Teodoro “Lolo” Fernandez (15) was a top scorer and champion during his country’s first coronation in 1939. It was his fourth participation in the finals out of seven. About half of his goals (7) he scored in that edition, and he added two hat-tricks against Ecuador and important goals against the Brazilian and Argentina.
Uruguayan Severino Varela (15) Varela was not the best scorer in one copy of Copa America, but he showed constant effectiveness. He scored five goals in each edition he played in 1937, 1939 and 1942, winning the title with Celeste in the last edition.
Chilean Eduardo Vargas (14) is one of Chile’s last golden generation. In 2015 and 2016, he was the top scorer (4 and 6 goals respectively). He participated in four editions and is considered one of the most prominent players in his country’s history.
Peruvian Paulo Guerrero (14) is one of the most famous athletes in his country. He was the best scorer in three editions: 2011, 2015 and 2019. In 2024, the 40-year-old has the chance to become the best scorer in the history of the competition.
Argentine Lionel Messi (13) In the first five editions he played, Messi scored two goals in 2007, one in 2015, five in 2016 and one in 2019, and he did not know the way to the goal in 2011. But his determination found his way to glory in 2021 in Brazil, when he participated Top scorers list with Colombian Luis Dias (4), who won the continental title for the first time in his prolific career.
13 goals were also scored by the Brazilians Ademir and Jair, the Argentines Gabriel Batistuta and Jose Manuel Moreno, and the Uruguayan Hector Scaroni.