América de Cali

The origins of América de Cali date to 1918, when students from the Colegio Santa Librada formed a team called América FC, to compete with other schools. That club claimed one of the first championships in the history of Colombian football by winning the Copa Centenario Batalla de Boyacá in 1919. The team broke up not long afterwards. Over the ensuing years, various clubs in Cali appeared with various names. The most notable was Racing Club, named for the Argentine team of the same name. That club wore light blue jerseys with white vertical stripes, identical to the Argentine club. However, when the club disintegrated in 1925, the uniforms went with them. On 13 February 1927, a new club was officially formed, with Hernán Zamorano Isaacs as its first president. They took América as their name and scarlet and white as their colors. There are various stories to explain the reason why, but both this name and those colors stuck, and América has been identified with scarlet ever since.

Early years

América won the 1930 Amateur Tournament, and arranged a playoff with local rivals Cali FC to determine who would enter Colombia's top league (then known as the Liga de Fútbol). Cali won 1–0 in controversial style, as two América goals were disallowed. This was part of the beginning of the birth of the fierce rivalry between América and what would become Deportivo Cali. Unable to compete in the national tournament owing to a one-year ban handed due to their protest for the…

s shared record

Other honours

Friendly

Torneo ESPN: 2020 Copa Ilustre Municipalidad de Chillan: 2016 Copa Campeones de América: 2016 Copa Ciudad de Antofagasta: 2013 Noche Escarlata: 2013 & 2016 Copa Cafam: 2008, 2011 Copa Sky: 2001 Copa Ciudad Viña del Mar: 2000 Copa Municipio de Andalucía: 1998 Noche Amarilla: 1995 Trofeo Banco de Crédito e Inversiones: 1986 Copa Osvaldo Juan Zubeldía: 1982 Copa Gobernación del Valle: 1979 Trofeo del Consulado Peruano: 1947

Runner-up finishes

Categoría Primera A Runners-up (7): 1960, 1969, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2008–I Categoría Primera B Runners-up (1): 2012 Copa Colombia Runners-up (1): 2024 Superliga Colombiana Runners-up (2): 2020, 2021 Copa Libertadores Runners-up (4): 1985, 1986, 1987, 1996