Uruguay won the inaugural Copa América tournament in 1916. The competition was then called the South American Football Championship and was held in Argentina.
Four national teams took part: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. Uruguay finished first in the round-robin tournament after drawing with Argentina and defeating Chile and Brazil. The event helped establish a recurring championship for South American national teams.
The tournament was created during celebrations of Argentina’s centenary of independence. In 1975, the competition officially adopted the name Copa América. Uruguay has remained one of the tournament’s most successful teams, alongside Argentina and Brazil, and also won the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.