Copa America Top Goalscorers in History (2024)
The Copa America 2024 is set to begin in June as the Southern American teams look to get their hands on the trophy. The likes of Lionel Messi, Vincius Jr., Darwin Nunez, and more will be in action. It could also be the last big tournament for Messi with Argentina. He is eighth on the list of Copa America top scorers of all time and will look to add to his tally.
Meanwhile, Argentina won the tournament in 2021 and will look to defend their crown. They will, however, have to compete against some top teams and excellent attacking players.
On that note, let’s take a look at Copa America top goalscorers of all time:
1. Zizinho – 17 Goals
Zizinho was a Brazilian attacking midfielder, who played in 6 editions of the tournament. He scored in each one of them, taking his total tally to 17 goals. He sits atop the list of Copa America top scorers.
Zizinho also won the Copa America in 1949.
2. Norberto Mendez – 17 Goals
Tied on the top of the list with Zizinho is Argentine midfielder Norberto Mendez. He featured in 3 editions of the tournament and won all three between 1945 to 1947.
Mendez also won the Golden Boot in 1945 with 7 goals, sharing it with Brazil’s Heleno de Freitas. His overall tally stands at 17 goals.
3. Teodoro Fernandez – 15 Goals
Fernandez helped Peru win their first-ever Copa America trophy back in 1939. He sits third in the Copa America top scorers list with 15 goals, 7 of which came in the 1939 edition, which included two hat-tricks.
4. Severino Varela – 15 Goals
Uruguay’s Severino Varela is tied with Teodoro Fernandez for the second spot in the list with 15 goals. He never won the Golden Boot and scored five goals each in all three editions of Copa America he took part in.
Varela won the tournament with Uruguay in 1942.
5. Eduardo Vargas – 14 Goals
Eduardo Vargas helped Chile win two Copa America trophies in 2015 and 2016. He was also the top scorer of the tournament in both editions with 4 and 6 goals respectively.
Vargas played in 4 editions of Copa America and overall scored 14 goals.
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6. Paulo Guerrero – 14 Goals
Paulo Guerrero has also scored 14 goals in the Copa America for Peru. The 40-year-old striker is still active and has been called up for the Euros 2024, meaning he could potentially add to his tally. It would be his sixth appearance in the tournament.
Guerrero helped Peru finish as runners-up in the 2019 Copa America.
7. Hector Scarone – 14 Goals
Hector Scarone is a Uruguayan legend, who helped his side win a whopping four Copa America titles. They came in 1917, 1923, 1924 and 1926.
The former Barcelona forward is seventh on the list of Copa America top goalscorers with 14 goals in seven appearances in the tournament.
8. Lionel Messi – 13 Goals
Lionel Messi is regarded by many as the greatest player of all time. He is Argentina’s all-time top scorer with 106 goals and also their all-time top assist provider with 54.
He helped them win the 2022 FIFA World Cup, their first since 1986. Prior to that, he helped them win the 2021 Copa America, beating Brazil in the final. He won the Copa America Golden Boot in 2021 and also the Best Player award in 2015 and 2021.
Messi will look to add to his goals tally and helped Argentina win the trophy this year as well.
9. Gabriel Batistuta – 13 Goals
Another Argentina legend Gabriel Batistuta has scored 13 goals in Copa America in 3 editions of the tournament. He won the Cope America in 1991 and 1993 and also won the Golden Boot in 1991 and 1995.
Batistuta was regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and played for the likes of Boca Juniors and AS Roma.
10. Jose Manuel Moreno – 13 Goals
The Argentine primarily played as a second striker and racked up 13 goals in 3 editions of the Copa America. However, he failed to help his side lift the trophy. He did win the South American Championship twice with Argentina – 1941, and 1947. At club level, he played for the likes of River Plate and Boca Juniors.
FAQs
Q. Who has scored the most goals in Copa America history?
A. Brazil’s Zizinho and Argentina’s Norberto Mendez are tied at 17 goals atop the list of Copa America top goalscorers.
Q. How many goals has Messi scored in Copa America?
A. Lionel Messi sits in eighth place in all-time top scorers list with 13 goals.
Q. Who has the most wins in Copa America men’s history?
A. Argentina and Uruguay are tied with 15 titles each.
Q. How many Copa America titles has Messi won in his career?
A. Lionel Messi has won just one Copa America title, which came in 2021.