With their record five World Cups, nine Copa America trophies and some of the greatest players to have ever played the beautiful game, Brazil are rightfully footballing royalty.
Despite not having won as many Copa America titles as old rivals Argentina or Uruguay, Brazil have had some of the finest Copa America wins in the 118-year-old tournament’s history.
The greatest Brazil Copa America wins: our top five
5. Old enemy sunk in style – 2007 Copa America
Brazil’s second-most recent Copa America win started in worrying fashion, suffering from the champions’ curse, having won the prior edition in 2004.
The Seleção fell to a 2-0 defeat against a talented Mexico team, with Nery Castillo scoring a true Brazilian style golazo, flicking the ball over Maicon’s head before firing it into the net.
But Brazil bounced back in style with a 3-0 hammering of Chile, courtesy of a Robinho hat-trick. The then-Real Madrid starlet scored his fourth goal of the tournament in a 1-0 over Ecuador.
Unfortunately for Chile, they were on the end of another Brazil battering in the quarter finals. Brazil ran riot in a 6-1 win, with five different scorers.
They met Uruguay in the semi-finals. Goals from Diego Forlan and Sebastien Abreu pegged Brazil back to 2-2, but Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva would score the decisive penalty.
The final was the proverbial cherry on top, with a 3-0 win over old enemy Argentina.
Julio Baptista opened the scoring after just four minutes, and a young Dani Alves made it 3-0 after a Roberto Ayala own goal. Robinho would win golden boot with six goals
4. Everton walks alone as the top gun – 2019 Copa America
Five years ago, Brazil won the Copa America on home soil for the first time in 30 years, despite being haunted by their disastrous 2014 World Cup campaign at home.
The Seleção swept Bolivia away 3-0 in the curtain-raiser in São Paulo, thanks to a brace from Phillipe Coutinho.
Despite drawing 0-0 with a well-disciplined Venezuela side, they would go on to thrash Peru 5-0 in their final group game.
Brazil would face another stubborn defensive test in the quarter-finals, with Paraguay forcing them to spot-kicks. But Gabriel Jesus would score the final kick, setting up a box-office clash with Argentina in the semi-finals.
Jesus starred again in the semi-final, scoring the opener, and setting up Roberto Firmino for a 2-0 win.
The Seleção faced Peru once again in the final, and ran out 3-1 winners, with winger Everton’s goal clinching him the golden boot. Paolo Guerrero’s penalty was the only goal Brazil conceded all tournament.
3. Golden generation steals the show – 1999 Copa America
A quarter of a century ago, Brazil named one of the most talented squads ever put to paper.
Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Ze Roberto and Emerson were all key parts of this side that won all six of their games.
Brazil cruised through the group stage, winning all three games against Venezuela, Mexico and Chile, scoring 10 and conceding just once.
Goals Rivaldo and Ronaldo knocked out Argentina in the quarter-final and the former would score again in a 2-0 rematch with Mexico.
In the final, record champions Uruguay awaited, but Rivaldo and Ronaldo scored in a 3-0 win that saw them share the golden boot.
2. A bit of R&R enlivens Brazil – 1997 Copa America
But just two years earlier, a similar squad performed even better.
With the additions of veterans Claudio Taffarel, Dunga, Aldair and Romario, the Seleção won all six games, but scored five more goals than they would in 1999.
Brazil beat Costa Rica, Mexico and Colombia by an aggregate score of 11-2 to obliterate the group stage in a way rarely seen today.
Ronaldo, at the peak of his Barcelona powers, scored a brace in the quarter-finals against Paraguay.
In the semi-finals, the Seleção would humiliate Peru 6-0, with the evergreen Romario scoring a superb brace.
In the final, Brazil would break host nation Bolivia’s hearts with a 3-1 win in La Paz, despite the infamously challenging high-altitude conditions up in the Andes.
Ronaldo scored to clinch the tournament’s best player award, with Brazil in fine form heading into the 1998 World Cup
1. Simply the best – 1949 Copa America
Moving back in time over 70 years, Brazil put on one of the greatest attacking shows ever seen. In just eight games, the Seleção netted 46 goals, with Jair’s nine goals still standing as a tournament record.
The Brazilian squad was truly star-studded, with Pele’s idol and Copa America all-time top scorer Zizinho also playing a key role, along with seven-goal performances from Ademir and Tesourinha.
Played in the old Copa America table format, with all sides playing each other once, Brazil fell to a surprise 2-1 defeat to upstarts Paraguay in the final game, meaning they drew level on points and prompted a playoff.
But Jair and co would not make the same mistake twice, winning 7-0 in front of 55,000 fans. This side’s seven wins and 46 goals are still tournament records to this day.
