Copa América Centenario — 2016 edition of the Copa América association football competition
The 2016 Copa América Centenario was the first Copa América held outside South America, marking the tournament's centennial with an expanded 16-team field.
Key Facts
- Edition number
- 45th (commemorative)
- Teams participating
- 16 (10 CONMEBOL, 6 CONCACAF)
- Tournament winner
- Chile
- Runner-up
- Argentina
- First hosted outside South America
- Yes — held in the United States
- Organizing bodies
- CONMEBOL and CONCACAF
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
An agreement between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF enabled a special commemorative edition of the Copa América to coincide with the centennial of both CONMEBOL and the Copa América itself. The tournament was inserted outside the usual four-year cycle and expanded to sixteen teams to reflect its celebratory nature, with the United States chosen as host to mark the first staging outside South America.
Held in the United States in June 2016, the Copa América Centenario brought together all ten CONMEBOL members and six CONCACAF nations. Chile defeated Argentina in the final to claim the title, becoming only the fourth nation to win back-to-back CONMEBOL tournament titles, joining Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil. Despite being an official Copa América, the winner received no Confederations Cup berth due to the tournament's commemorative status.
Chile's victory made it the first nation to win consecutive Copa América titles in the modern era beyond the traditional powers, while Argentina suffered its third consecutive final defeat in a major tournament. The event demonstrated that the Copa América could successfully operate outside its traditional South American setting, opening discussion about future expansions and cross-confederation cooperation.