The Copa América is South America's major tournament in senior men's football and determines the continental champion. Until 1967, the tournament was known as South American Championship. It is the oldest continental championship in the world with its first edition held in 1916.
Bolivia participated for the first time in 1926, but it took 23 years (26 matches) until their first victory.
1963 was a special year for Bolivia in tournament history. The country not only hosted the South American Championship for the first time. The two host cities, Cochabamba and La Paz, both lie in Andean valleys and are at a much higher altitude than large parts of the continent. Moderately, due to the altitude, Bolivia won the tournament unbeaten and earned their first and only international title. Forward Ramiro Blacut is the only Bolivian to be awarded an individual trophy when he was honoured as best player of the tournament that same year.
With a notable exception in 1997, when Bolivia reached the final in their second-ever home tournament, the team has been hugely unsuccessful in the past decades. From 1999 to 2021, they only won a single match (3–2 vs Ecuador in America Cup Chile 2015).
Overall record
Bolivia missed out on the first nine South American championships (1916–1925) because the FBF was only founded in 1926.
South American Championship / Copa América recordYearRoundPositionSquad 1916Not a CONMEBOL member 1917 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926Fifth place5th4004224Squad 1927Fourth place4th3003319Squad 1929Did not participate 1935 1937 1939 1941 1942 1945Sixth place6th6024316Squad 1946Sixth place6th5005423Squad 1947Seventh place7th7025621Squad 1949Fourth place4th74031324Squad 1953Sixth place6th6114615Squad 1955Did not participate 1956 1957 1959Seventh place7th6015423Squad 1959Withdrew 1963Champions1st65101913Squad 1967Sixth place6th501409Squad1975Group stage8th410339Squad1979Group stage6th420247Squad1983Group stage8th402246Squad 1987Group stage7th201102Squad 1989Group stage9th402208Squad 1991Group stage9th402227Squad 1993Group stage10th302112Squad 1995Quarter-finals8th411256Squad 1997Runners-up2nd6501105Squad 1999Group stage9th302112Squad 2001Group stage11th300307Squad 2004Group stage9th302134Squad 2007Group stage10th302145Squad 2011Group stage12th301215Squad 2015Quarter-finals8th4112410Squad 2016Group stage14th300327Squad 2019Group stage12th300329Squad 2021Group stage10th4004210Squad 2024Group stage16th3003110SquadTotal1 Title29/48122 20 26 76 109 308 —
1963 South American Championship
Bolivia played their first match of the tournament against Ecuador. After they had given away an early 2–0 leading to a 2–4 deficit after 50 minutes, the match ended in a 4–4 draw. Subsequently, the Bolivian hosts won their matches against Colombia (2–1), Peru (3–2), Paraguay (2–0) and Argentina (3–2).
The table after five out of six match days looked as follows.
Position Team 1 5410149+592 5401126+683 5302149+564 521288+055 6213811−356 50231015−527 5014715−81
Still to play: - , - ,
Because a victory gave two points at the time, only Paraguay was able to put pressure on Bolivia on the last day of the tournament. In case of equal points, a play-off would have been held. In order to secure the title, Bolivia would have to earn at least as many points in their match against Brazil as Paraguay would in their match against Argentina.
The Paraguay match in La Paz ended 1–1, which meant Bolivia also needed at least a draw.
Match details
GK Arturo LópezDF Roberto CainzoDF Eduardo EspinozaMF Máximo RamírezMF Wilfredo CamachoMF Eulogio VargasFW Ramiro BlacutFW Máximo AlcócerFW Víctor UgarteFW Ausberto GarcíaFW Fortunato CastilloManager: Danilo Alvim GK SilasDF Cláudio DanniDF Jorge MF ProcópioMF GeraldinoMF Hilton VaccariFW TiãoFW AlmirFW FlávioFW Marco AntônioFW OswaldoSubstitutions:DF Massinha Manager: Aymoré Moreira
In spite of Brazil equalizing a two-goal lead twice, Bolivia secured the victory and the tournament title, two points ahead of Paraguay.
Record by opponent Bolivia's highest victory at a Copa América is a 4–0 win against Colombia in 1949. A 1–10 defeat against Brazil in the same tournament, along with a 0–9 defeat against Uruguay at the 1927 edition, are Bolivia's highest defeats of all time.
Copa América matches (by team)Opponent22121610502091113422211*1517493541214140022062518121300110201011112033100222512811831349161728101212211417655122559Total202676122109308 * Includes a 2–2 draw awarded to Chile in 1953.
Record players
RankPlayerMatchesTournaments1Víctor Ugarte301947, 1949, 1953, 1959 and 19632José Bustamante241945, 1946, 1947, 1949 and 19533Alberto Achá231945, 1946, 1947 and 1949Carlos Borja231979, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993 and 19955José Milton Melgar221993, 1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995 and 19976Marco Etcheverry211989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997 and 19997Vicente Arraya201945, 1946, 1947 and 19498Julio César Baldivieso191991, 1993, 1995, 1997 and 2001Juan Manuel Peña191991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999 and 200710Severo Orgaz171945, 1946 and 1947Marco Sandy171993, 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2001
Top goalscorers
RankPlayerGoalsTournaments (goals)1Víctor Ugarte91949 (5), 1953 (2), 1963 (2)2Máximo Alcócer71959 (2), 1963 (5)3Benigno Gutiérrez51947 (2) and 1949 (3)Erwin Sánchez51991 (1), 1997 (3) and 1999 (1)5Ausberto García41959 (1) and 1963 (3)Wilfredo Camacho41963Marco Etcheverry41993 (1), 1995 (1) and 1997 (2)8Zenón González31945, 1946 and 1947Ricardo Alcón31953 (2) and 1959 (1)Fortunato Castillo31963Ovidio Mezza31975Jaime Moreno31997 (1) and 2007 (2)Marcelo Moreno32015 (2) and 2019 (1)
Awards and records
Team Awards Champions 1x (1963) Second Place 1x (1997)
Individual Awards MVP 1963: Ramiro Blacut
Team Records
Victory with highest number of goals conceded (5–4 vs Brazil, 31 March 1963. Tied with Brazil 6–4 Chile in 1937). Highest draw (4–4 vs Ecuador, 10 March 1963)
See also Bolivia at the FIFA World Cup
References
External links RSSSF archives and results Soccerway database