The 2016 Copa America Centenario is shortly upon us. This year’s Copa America is going to be special because it will be the first time a Copa America tournament is going to be held outside South America.
It also happens to be the first tournament where there will be a pool of 16 teams participating in the tournament. There will be plenty of big names playing in the Centenario, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Neymar and Suarez to name a few.
This year’s Centenario will be hosted by the USA, who qualify automatically as hosts. Although many players have won the Copa America in the past, there are a few names who have never had the opportunity to lift the trophy.
Below is the shocking list of players to have never had the opportunity to lift the Copa America in their lives:
1) Carlos Valderrama
Carlos Valderrama of Colombia is considered as one of the best players of his generation due to his wild and eccentric playing style who never had the chance to lift the Copa America in his entire playing career. He was an easily recognisable player due to his large blond afro.
The Colombian was considered as the classic number 10, who could play behind the forwards. He was so good that he was featured in Pele’s choice of the top 100 greatest living footballers, the only Colombian to be on it.
Valderrama was instrumental in his team winning their group in the 1991 Copa America through which they reached the final. However, he couldn’t inspire his team to the title as they faltered badly in the final round that year. Valderrama was even more close to winning the Copa when his team reached the semi-final of the 1993 Copa America, where they lost to eventual winners Argentina in the penalty shoot-out.
In the 1995 Copa America, his team again lost out in the semi-finals, when they were beaten by eventual winners Uruguay. Such was the heartbreak that El Pibe had to face in his international playing career. He earned 111 international caps for his country, although he never won any major trophy despite being part of Colombia’s golden era.
2) Javier Zanetti
Javier Zanetti of Argentina is still considered as one of the greatest wing-backs of all time after making 858 appearances for Inter Milan. He earned a record 143 caps for Argentina from 1994-2011. Although he played the Copa America five times in his career, he was unfortunate to have never won it with his nation.
He is a player who has won everything in his club career, although he could not translate his club success internationally. In the 1995 Copa America, he reached the quarter-finals, but his side was beaten by arch-rivals Brazil in penalties.
He was dealt an even greater heartache when his side was again beaten by Brazil in the quarter-finals of the 1999 Copa America, who went on to win the Copa America that year. In the 2004 Copa America, Argentina managed to beat Colombia in the semi-finals to reach the finals of the Copa America, only to once again lose to Brazil in a penalty shoot-out.
His next Copa America with Argentina in 2007 saw them begin their campaign in sublime fashion, winning the group without losing a single game. They managed to reach the finals after beating Uruguay, but were once again beaten to the title by Brazil, who beat them comfortably by a score of 3-0.
Javier Zanetti’s team had a very average 2011 Copa America after their team was knocked out by eventual champions Uruguay in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out. Such has been Javier Zanetti’s luck with the Argentina National Team that he couldn’t win the Copa America despite numerous semi-final and final appearances.
3) Socrates
Socrates is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders to have ever graced football. Like Valderrama, he was also a part of Pele’s 100 greatest footballers of all time. He had a doctorate in medicine, which led to him being called Doctor Socrates.
He was the symbol of coolness for an entire generation of football fans. The midfielder appeared in two Copa Americas in his international playing career. He was considered a genius in the game due to his tactical awareness and his offensive playing style.
Although he was one of the greatest players, he never won a major trophy with any team, be it his club or nation. The Brazilians were in sublime form when they topped their group in the 1979 Copa America, but they were handed a shock loss by Paraguay in the semi-finals, who went on to win the competition.
Socrates’ Brazil started the 1983 Copa America in great form as well, as they won the group that consisted Argentina, beating them on goal difference. Brazil got their revenge on Paraguay, as they beat them in the semi-finals that year.
However, they failed to build on their momentum, as they were beaten by Uruguay in the first leg of the finals, before drawing the second leg, which meant Socrates could never get his hands on any major trophy in his entire playing career.
4) Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi, who is considered as arguably the greatest footballer of this generation, has won everything there is to be won as a player at club level. Take things to the international level, Messi is yet to win any trophy with Argentina.
The Argentine has dominated the scenes in Spain unlike any player ever, becoming the all-time top scorer of the league before even reaching 30 years of age. However, he is yet to reach the same heights in international football. The Argentine has had his heart broken twice in two years when his Argentine team lost to Germany in the finals of the World Cup in 2014 and the followed it up with a loss to Chile in the Copa America in 2015.
In his first real tryst with the trophy, Argentina had started the 2007 Copa America in great fashion winning the group without losing a single game. They had an extended run of great form when his side beat Peru and Mexico in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.However, his team could not continue their great form as they lost the finals to arch-rivals Brazil.
Argentina did not have the best of starts to their 2011 Copa America campaign as they finished second in their group, and were duly knocked out by Uruguay in the quarter-finals, losing on penalties.
The 2015 Copa America saw La Albiceleste fly off the gates as they won their group. They then went on to beat an inspired Colombian team in a penalty shoot-out before demolishing Paraguay 6-1 in the semi-finals. The final, however, was a different tale as Argentina lost out to Chile on penalties.
A player who has won everything, he still has time on his side to at least win one major tournament with Argentina, this year’s Copa being one.
5) Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona, considered to be one of the greatest players to have ever played for Argentina had won the World Cup for his nation almost single-handedly. That is how influential the player was for his team.
He had the power and skill to overpower any defence in the world and there was no stopping the man from Argentina. He represented Argentina in the 1979 Copa America, but Argentina finished last in the group, with Maradona scoring only once.
Maradona was injured in the 1983 Copa America, where they had another dismal campaign getting knocked out at the group stages. Argentina had a good start to the 1987 Copa America as they topped their group, but fell to eventual champions Uruguay in the semi-finals. The God of Napoli ended the competition with three goals to his name.
Argentina had a blistering start to their 1989 Copa America campaign as they won the group that also had powerhouse Uruguay. Their success, however, was short lived as Argentina could not win the final round, which was won by Brazil.
Failure to keep his off-field activities in check led to him being banned from the 1991 Copa America as Maradona failed a drug test. Argentina went on to win the Copa America in his absence. The following Copa America, Maradona withdrew from the Argentina squad after having a dispute with his team.
That year too, Argentina went on to win the Copa. This shows what Maradona’s career could have been, as he would have the complete set of trophies with his national team.
6) Pele
Pele, widely considered as the greatest player to have ever walked the face of this planet had won three World Cups with Brazil. He was also the first player to have scored 1000 goals including friendlies, which goes to show the might of this very incredible player.
He dominated the whole world with his skills and goals, but could never dominate his continent. He only played in one Copa America in the year 1959 and never played again because the next time Brazil would play the Copa America would be 30 years later.
In the 1959 Copa America, Pele was the top scorer of the tournament as he scored eight goals in six games. Pele scored in the finals of the tournament as well, but the match ended as a 1-1 draw. The title was handed over to hosts Argentina, as they had the better record in the championship. Thus, Pele could never win everything there was to win with his national team.
