- published: 13 May 2015
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The Copa América (Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese for "America Cup")—previously known as South American Championship—is an international association football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body. It is the oldest international continental football competition.
The current tournament format involves twelve teams competing at venues in a host nation over a period of about a month. The confederation has only ten members, so national teams from other FIFA confederations are invited to fill the other 2 places; Mexico, Costa Rica and the United States have been regular since being invited for the first time in 1993. In 43 tournaments, seven national teams have won the title. Uruguay is the current champion and the most successful team in the tournament, having won it fifteen times.
The Copa América is one of the world's most widely viewed sporting events. The highest finishing member of CONMEBOL has the right to participate in the next edition of the FIFA Confederations Cup, but is not obligated to do so.