Copa Interamericana
Interamerican Cup
The Interamerican Cup trophy
Organizing bodyCONCACAF
CONMEBOL
Founded1968
RegionNorth America
South America
Number of teams2
Current champion(s)United States D.C. United (1st title)
Most successful club(s)Argentina Independiente (3 titles)
2024 Copa Interamericana

The Copa Interamericana (English: Interamerican Cup) is an annual club football competition contested between a representative from North America (CONCACAF) and South America (CONMEBOL). Established in 1969, it was discontinued in 1998 after CONCACAF clubs, particularly those from Mexico, began participating in CONMEBOL competitions.

The competition was intended to be contested between the winners of the North American CONCACAF Champions Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores tournaments, although the participants varied at times. The competition was usually contested over a two legged tie, with a playoff or penalty kicks if necessary. However, it was common for several consecutive editions to go unheld. Of the 18 competitions played out, four of them were contested over several matches in just one venue. Two others were held in a single match. Another two editions had participants that didn't outright qualify to dispute the competition. Most of the editions were held one, and sometimes two, years after the participants had qualified. This was the result of the lack of financial incentives and the low relevance of the competition.

The 18 Copa Interamericana tournaments were won by 13 different club teams. Argentine side Independiente won a record three titles. The last winner of the cup was American side D.C. United, defeating Brazilian side Vasco da Gama 2–1 on aggregate in 1998. Argentina was the most successful national league with seven titles, while Uruguayan outfit Nacional and Independiente share the record for the most appearances with three each.

History

In 1969, an agreement came between the confederations of South America (CONMEBOL) and Central and North America (CONCACAF) to play an annual competition, the Interamerican Cup, which pits the champions of those two confederations in a format similar to the Intercontinental Cup. The first edition was contested between Estudiantes and Mexican club Toluca in which each team won 2-1 in their away legs. The playoff in Montevideo proved to be the tie-breaker as Estudiantes won a violent match 2-0. This promising start did little to help the competition; due to the difference in interests between the clubs involved, the Interamerican Cup had an even more sporadic lifeline than the Intercontinental Cup; sometimes, years would go without it being played. The second edition was played four years later, in 1971, which saw Nacional edged Mexican side Cruz Azul 3-2 on aggregate. Independiente would become the only club to win the competition three times in a row, from 1972 to 1974, after seeing off Honduran club Olimpia, Guatemalan club Municipal and Mexican side Atlético Español, the last two after a penalty shoot-out. Mexico's América broke the South American hegemony after beating Boca Juniors in a play-off match in 1977. As a result of this victory, the Mexican squad argued that it had the right to participate in the Intercontinental Cup of that year; however, they were denied the opportunity. Paraguay's Olimpia returned the trophy back south in 1980 with a victory over El Salvador's FAS but Club Universidad Nacional of Mexico City defeating Uruguay's Nacional to win CONCACAF's second title.

The competition entered a state of hiatus again, this time for five years. In 1986, Argentinos Juniors would defeat Defence Force of Trinidad and Tobago in a single-match final. River Plate would keep the trophy in Argentina, for the second year running, defeating Costa Rican side Alajuelense. Uruguay's Nacional would trounce Honduras' Olimpia 5-1 on aggregate the following year. Colombia's Atlético Nacional made short work of Club Universidad Nacional; however, South America hegemony would once again be broken by América after defeating Paraguay's Olimpia. Compatriots Puebla failed to retain the trophy in Mexico after being routed by Chile's Colo-Colo. The importance of the competition decreased significantly after two Brazilian clubs, Copa Libertadores winners São Paulo (1993) and Grêmio (1995) declined to participate out of disinterest; both times, the Copa Libertadores runners-up, Chilean side Universidad Católica and Atlético Nacional took their place; each of them were pushed to the limit by Costa Rica's Saprissa. Vélez Sársfield beat Costa Rican club Cartaginés in 1994 while the last Interamerican Cup, held in 1998, saw American club D.C. United beat Vasco da Gama.

The Interamerican Cup was abolished in 1998 when Mexican clubs began to participate in the Copa Libertadores and other CONCACAF teams participated in the Copa Sudamericana. From 2005 to 2023, when FIFA adopted the Club World Championship format clash between the champions of all continental confederations, the champions of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL again had the opportunity to meet, which happened on multiple occasions throughout the history of the tournament with this format.

On January 27, 2023, it was announced that CONCACAF and CONMEBOL had signed a new strategic partnership, which would include a "Final four" style club tournament containing 2 teams from both confederations that would start in 2024.[1]

List of matches

Key to the list
a.e.t. Match was won during extra time
pen. Match was won on a penalty shoot-out
List of Copa Interamericana matches
Year Winners Agg Runners-up 1st leg 2nd leg Play-off
1969 Estudiantes (LP) Argentina 6–3 Mexico Toluca 2–1 1–2 3–0
1971 Nacional Uruguay
3–2
Mexico Cruz Azul 1–1 2–1
1973 Independiente Argentina 4–1 Honduras Olimpia 2–1 2–0
1974 Independiente Argentina 1–1
(4–2 pen.)
Guatemala Municipal 1–0 0–1
1976 Independiente Argentina 2–2
(4–2 pen.)
Mexico Español 2–2 0–0
1978 América Mexico 1–3 [n 1] Argentina Boca Juniors 0–3 1–0 2–1 (a.e.t.)
1979 Olimpia Paraguay 8–3 El Salvador FAS 3–3 5–0
1981 UNAM Mexico 6–5 Uruguay Nacional 3–1 1–3 2–1
1985 Argentinos Juniors Argentina 1–0 [note 1] Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force
1986 River Plate Argentina 3–0 Costa Rica Alajuelense 0–0 3–0
1988 Nacional Uruguay 5–1 Honduras Olimpia 1–1 4–0
1989 Atlético Nacional Colombia 6–1 Mexico UNAM 2–0 4–1
1990 América Mexico 3–2 Paraguay Olimpia 1–1 2–1
1991 Colo-Colo Chile 7–2 Mexico Puebla 4–1 3–1
1993 Universidad Católica Chile 6–4 Costa Rica Saprissa 1–3 5–1
1996 Vélez Sársfield Argentina 2–0 Costa Rica Cartaginés 0–0 2–0
1995 Atlético Nacional Colombia 3–2 [note 1] Costa Rica Saprissa
1998 D.C. United United States 2–1 Brazil Vasco da Gama 0–1 2–0
Final four
2024
Notes
  1. 1 2 Final was played under a single match format.
  1. Aggregate score not taken into account.

Records and statistics

Winners

Performance in the Copa Interamericana by club
Team Winners Runners-up Years won Years runners-up
Argentina Independiente301972, 1974, 1975
Uruguay Nacional211971, 19881980
Mexico América 2 0 1977, 1990
Colombia Atlético Nacional201989, 1995
Paraguay Olimpia1119791990
Mexico UNAM 1 1 1981 1989
Argentina Estudiantes101968
Argentina Argentinos Juniors101985
Argentina River Plate101986
Chile Colo-Colo101991
Chile Universidad Católica101993
Argentina Vélez Sársfield101994
United States D.C. United101998
Honduras Olimpia021972, 1988
Costa Rica Saprissa021993, 1995
Mexico Toluca011968
Guatemala Municipal011974
Argentina Boca Juniors011977
El Salvador FAS011979
Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force011985
Costa Rica Alajuelense011986
Costa Rica Cartaginés011994
Brazil Vasco da Gama011998

By nation

Performance by nation
Nation Winners Runners-up Total
 Argentina 7 1 8
 Mexico 3 5 8
 Chile 2 0
 Colombia 2 0
 Uruguay 2 1
 Paraguay 1 1
 United States 1 0
 Costa Rica 0 4
 Honduras 0 2
 Brazil 0 1 1
 El Salvador 0 1 1
 Guatemala 0 1 1
 Trinidad and Tobago 0 1 1

By confederation

Results by confederation
Confederation Winners Runners-up
CONMEBOL 14 4
CONCACAF 4 14

See also

  • International club competition records

Notes

      References

      1. "CONMEBOL and Concacaf sign strategic collaboration agreement". Concacaf.com. January 27, 2023. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
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