Copa America vs Euro Cup: What Is The Difference?
Copa America vs Euro Cup: Football, the beautiful game, has a way of uniting people like few other things can. It’s a sport that’s as much about the scintillating skills of players like Lionel Messi and Harry Kane, as it is about the fervor of the fans in the stands. While the FIFA World Cup is undeniably the most prestigious tournament, the Copa America and the Euro Cup each hold significant importance on their respective continents. This article aims to highlight the differences between the Copa America and Euro Cup, offering insight into their histories, formats, key players, and notable victories.
Copa America vs Euro Cup comparison chart
| Copa America | UEFA Euro Cup | |
| Introduction | The Copa America or The South American football championship is the international football league that includes the national teams of the South American continent. This football league is held by the South American football association – CONMEBOL | The UEFA EUROPEAN Championship or UEFA Euro is the international football league for the national teams of the European Association – UEFA. |
| Organizing body | The South American football association – CONMEBOL | The European football association – UEFA |
| Founded | 1916 | 1958 |
| Region | South America | Europe |
| Current Champion | Argentina | Italy |
| The number of teams that participated | 12 teams (10 main teams and 2 invitations) | 24 teams (final rounds), 55 teams (qualification rounds) |
| Most successful teams | Argentina, Uruguay | Germany, Spain |
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The history comparison of two league
Looking back on Copa America vs Euro Cup history, both tournaments have given us many memorable moments and have been dominated by certain nations.
In 1916, the first football tournament which had a participant from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile was held. At that time, the South American football association – CONMEBOL was established. From the very first moment of the Copa America football league, it was held every year. However, because of the flu pandemic in Rio de Janeiro, they delayed the football tournament.
Moreover, there was a significant decision made by CONMEBOL in 1986. That allowed a single country to become the host nation of Copa America. From 1987 to 2001, America Cup was held every 2 years. However, from 2001 to 2007, the tournament was held every 3 years. And this league was held every 4 years; just like the UEFA Euro from 2007 till now.
On the other side, EURO is the international European football tournament that is held every 4 years. In the history of the game, the UEFA EURO 2020 was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, the first UEFA EURO was kicked-off in France in 1960. The first Euro Cup champion at that time was the Soviet Union. Up to now, Germany and Spain’s national football teams are the two teams that have won the EURO the most times with exactly 3 times. However, France ranks third in the list of the most successful teams in EURO history with two championships in 1984 and 2000.
Copa America vs Euro Cup most successful team
UEFA Euro Cup had a total of 10 champions. Germany and Spain are the most successful teams with 3 times being the champions of the Euro Cup, France and Italy had 2 times being the Euro Cup champion. Until now, Spain is the only team successfully defending the UEFA Euro in 2008 and 2012.
In America Cup, Argentina and Uruguay are the most successful teams in the tournament with both 15 times the champions.
The concept of a Euro Cup winner vs Copa America winner showdown is a tantalizing prospect for football fans. While an official match between the continental champions hasn’t been held, football enthusiasts often indulge in these hypothetical match-ups. Such an intercontinental match could potentially echo the spirit of the now-defunct Franchi Cup.
Euro Cup vs Copa America Players and teams comparison
Due to the small number of members of CONMEBOL, with only 10 teams, countries from other continents are often invited to participate to create 12 teams for easy division. Since 1993, two teams from other regions, usually from CONCACAF which are geographically and culturally close, have also been invited. There were 9 different national teams have been invited to participate in the tournament:
- Costa Rica (1997, 2001, 2004, 2011, 2016)
- Haiti (2016)
- The United States of America (1993, 1995, 2007, 2016*)
- Honduras (2001)
- Jamaica (2015, 2016)
- Mexico (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016)
- Japan (1999,2019)
- Qatar (2019)
On the other hand, all 54 nations of Europe must join the UEFA EURO qualification rounds to decide who will be on the list of 24 national football teams which will play in the final round of the tournament. The qualification could last for several months because the players need to finish their domestic football league before joined into the national football teams for the UEFA EURO qualification round-robins.
While discussing Euro Cup vs Copa America players, it’s essential to note that both tournaments are adorned by the presence of some of the world’s best football talent. The Euro Cup boasts players from top European leagues, with stars like England’s Harry Kane and France’s Kylian Mbappe. On the other hand, Copa America showcases the best South American talent, including global icons like Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Rewards for winning the competition between two league
With Copa America, the champions will receive 10 million USD as a reward, the runer-up teams will receive 5.5 million USD as a reward for their competitions. Third and fourth places in the tournament will get 1- 2.5 million. Besides that, the team who lost the quarterfinal match also had 1.5 million EURO. Besides the prize money from the organizers, the champion and runner-up teams also receive many other bonuses from sponsors and the local football federation.
On the other hand, the reward of the UEFA Euro championship is higher than America Cup. For example, the winning team of EURO 2020 will have 10 million EURO (11.8 million USD), higher than the winning team of the other tournament.
Besides that, the runner-up team will have 8.2 million USD. If the team qualifies for the semi-final match, they will earn 5.9 million USD. And if the team qualifies for the quarter-final round, they will have 3.8 million USD. Furthermore, each win in the group stage will help the teams earn an additional $ 1.7 million, each draw will earn $ 887,000. Particularly, qualifying for the EURO 2020 finals helped each team receive an amount of 10.9 million USD.
Sum up
In conclusion, while the Copa America and Euro Cup share similarities in their objectives and formats, they cater to different continental audiences and bring diverse cultural connotations to the beautiful game. From the samba flair of South American teams to the strategic nuance of European sides, these tournaments embody the love for football worldwide.
So, whether you are streaming the games on the ESPN app or watching a semifinal match on Fox Sports, you’re witnessing the pinnacle of international football. As fans, we’re left with the thrilling spectacle and an eternal debate over the Copa America vs Euro Cup.
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