The first Copa America, or South American Football Championship as it was then known, took place way back in 1916. That means it is more than a decade older than the FIFA World Cup and originates decades before UEFA got its act together and put on their first European Championship.
Over the course of over a century, the tournament has produced some incredibly iconic moments and has expanded and matured into a thrilling competition that attracts millions of fans with every edition that is hosted.
The original finals only involved four South American nations and, by 1947, expanded to eight teams. In 1975, ten entrants were involved as the tournament evolved into a far more inclusive event.
1993 saw further growth, with two teams from CONCACAF (North and Central America) also being invited to help bring more exposure to the tournament. 2016, the event marking a centenary of the competition, was hosted by the United States and saw almost a million and a half spectators watch the 32 games being played and countless millions more visiting the country just to experience the atmosphere of the tournament.
Fans from around the world seek out tickets for the Copa America, and they do so primarily for three reasons. Firstly, the event produces a great ambiance, and the whole carnival spectacle has to be seen to be believed. Secondly, the quality of the football on show is very high, notably because there are no really weak teams in the competition, with all nations in South America now playing at a very high level.
Thirdly, many fans and even their families look to make a holiday out of the event itself, combining the football fiesta with a chance to take in the sights and landmarks of the relevant hosting nation.
If you want to buy tickets for any game at the Copa America, SeatPick has you covered. We work with hundreds of the most trusted ticket reseller sites and that brings to our users a raft of options for every fixture, from the group stage all the way to the Copa America Final.
We have extensive availability when it comes to USA vs Argentina, which is a game that is attracting a huge amount of interest. Check out what great deals you can find for this clash today.
USA vs Argentina Copa America Tournament Record
The United States made their Copa America bow in 1993 but performed poorly, securing just a single point from their three group stage games, and were therefore eliminated at the first hurdle.
Just two years later, they made it all the way to the Semi-Finals, having topped a group that also included Argentina and Chile before beating Mexico on penalties in the Quarter-Finals before narrowly losing to Brazil and then being thumped 4-1 in the third-place playoff by Colombia.
At the 2016 Centenario event, the US once again put in a good show of themselves. Wins over Costa Rica and Paraguay saw Jurgen Klinsmann’s side top their group, and a 2-1 victory over Ecuador in Seattle set up a Semi-Final with Argentina, which saw the Americans easily dealt with by a 4-0 scoreline in Houston.
No national team has won the Copa America more often than Argentina, with 15 titles to their name as of 2023. That total should, in reality, be far higher, but for a number of failed finals in recent editions of the competition.
Between 1925 and 1947, La Albiceleste won the Copa America on eight occasions, and that dominance continued in the 1950s when they won three out of the four events they entered.
However, a severe title drought came between 1959 and 1991, a run that ended in Chile with former Fiorentina and Roma forward Gabriel Batistuta netting six goals in that tournament success.
Batistuta was on hand to help a more defensively-minded Argentina win the tournament two years later before another lengthy period without silverware followed.
Argentina were very much the nearly-men of the tournament as they finished as runners-up in 2004, 2007, 2015, and 2016.
In 2004, the loss came at the hands of arch-rivals Brazil, with Seleção winning on penalties after an entertaining 2-2 draw. Three years later, the same two teams met in the final, this time in Venezuela, and ended in a 3-0 defeat for Argentina, with former Arsenal man Julio Baptista among the goalscorers.
Many expected this run of final defeats to end in 2015, with Argentina coming up against hosts Chile. The Copa America Final this time ended in a goalless draw before both Napoli forward Gonzalo Higuain and Ever Banega missed their spot-kicks in a penalty shoot-out loss to La Roja.
Incredibly lightning struck a second time the following year. Chile once again beat Argentina in the final on penalties, with Barcelona legend Lionel Messi and Lucas Biglia failing with their spot-kicks.
In 2021, Argentina brought their miserable run of final losses to an end when they beat Brazil by a single goal in Rio. Former Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria scored the only goal of the game after 22 minutes to secure his nation’s 15th Copa America title, drawing them level with Uruguay.
USA vs Argentina Head-to-Head
The United States and Argentina have met in three previous Copa America campaigns, the first of which came at the 1995 tournament.
Remarkably, in that encounter, goals from Frank Klopas, Alexi Lalas, and Eric Wynalda scored to give the US a famous 3-0 win over Argentina.
In 2007, they played each other in the group stage again, and though former Fulham forward Eddie Johnson gave the United States the lead, Argentina came roaring back to win 4-1, with Hernan Crespo scoring the leveler before Juan Riquelme netted twice and Diego Milito hit the fourth for the eventual finalists.
Their third meeting was by far the most consequential. The United States faced Argentina in the 2016 Copa America Semi-Final and would have hoped that playing with home-field advantage in Houston, they would have a chance of progressing to their first-ever final, but that was not to be the case.
Former Napoli man Ezequiel Lavezzi put Argentina ahead after just three minutes, and Lionel Messi made it 2-0 just after the half-hour mark. Gonzalo Higuain then put the icing on the cake with two second-half goals to complete a 4-0 success.
