- The Canarinha secured their seventh continental title during CONMEBOL Copa América 2004™ played in Peru.
- Adriano was the competition's top scorer with seven goals.
Peru hosted the CONMEBOL Copa América™ for the first time since 1957, and the tournament's return was celebrated as a festival that spanned seven cities with seven impeccable stadiums, attracting massive crowds.
Brazil emerged as champions for the seventh time, overcoming Argentina in a dramatic final. The Canarinha trailed 2-1 against Albiceleste until the 92nd minute and 45 second when Adriano, the tournament's standout player, scored the equalizer to send the match to penalties. Brazil claimed the title with a 4-2 victory in the penalty shootout under the guidance of Carlos Alberto Parreira.
Key players for the champions included goalkeeper Julio César and Luisão, alongside the mastermind of the title, Adriano, who scored the last goal to equalize or put his team ahead in a final since 1919 when Friedenreich scored Brazil's 1-0 against Uruguay during the 122 minute of play.
Adriano was also the top scorer of the CONMEBOL Copa América 2004™ with seven goals. No player had scored as many goals in a single edition of the competition since Argentina 1959, when Pelé scored eight.
Brazil clinched victory in penalty shootouts both in the semifinal against Uruguay and in the final against Argentina, becoming the first team to win the trophy by winning both decisive matches from the penalty spot.
Throughout the competition, Argentina showcased a high level of football, with Carlos Tévez being one of the standout figures, but they fell short of claiming the title.
One of the surprises of the tournament was Uruguay, who were going through a difficult period in football but managed to regain confidence with a solid performance, featuring players like Carlos Bueno and Marcelo Sosa. They were eliminated in the semifinals against Brazil and secured third place by defeating Colombia in Cusco.
Uruguay became the second country to achieve 100 victories in CONMEBOL Copa América™ after Argentina. The 100th victory for the Charrúas in the tournament came in the 3-1 win against Paraguay in the quarterfinals.
Álex Aguinaga played in his eighth edition of the tournament, equaling Ángel Romano's record for most participations. The Ecuadorian's first and last matches in the tournament were separated by 17 years, while the Uruguayan achieved that mark in just 10 years.
A total of 78 goals were scored in 26 matches, with an average of 3 goals per game, the highest average since 1975.
Brazil's Road to the Title
Group Stage:
Brazil 1-0 Chile - Group C
- BRA goal: Luís Fabiano (89’)
Brazil 4-1 Costa Rica - Group C
- BRA goals: Adriano (45’, 54’, and 68’)
- CRC goal: Luis Marín (81’)
Paraguay 2-1 Brazil - Group C
- PAR goals: Julio González (29’), Fredy Bareiro (71’)
- BRA goal: Luis Fabiano (35’)
Final Stage:
Brazil 4-0 Mexico - Quarterfinals
- BRA goals: Alex (26’), Adriano (65’ and 78’), Ricardo Oliveira (87’)
Brazil (5) 1-1 (3) Uruguay - Semifinals
- BRA goal: Adriano 46’
- URU goal: Marcelo Sosa (22’)
Brazil (4) 2-2 (2) Argentina – Final
- BRA goals: Luisão (45’), Adriano (93’)
- ARG goals: Cristian González (21’), César Delgado (87’)
CONMEBOL.com / OPTA
