6 legends to have never won the Copa America
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.