The Copa Chile (Chile Cup) is an annual cup competition for Chilean football teams. Due to time constraints and club pressure, the trophy was cancelled in 2000, but returned in 2008. Its precursor was the Campeonato de Apertura (Opening Championship), played from 1933 to 1950.

The cup is now open to every member club of the Chilean football league system, from professional teams; (Primera División, Primera B & Segunda División), down to teams from the ANFA: Tercera División. Since the season 2009, the winners obtained a direct Copa Sudamericana spot for the next season, however this was change starting from the 2015 edition; since then the winners obtains a direct Copa Libertadores spot for the next season.

In the history of the tournament, the Primera División teams have dominated the competition; but, because this is contested in a knockout tournament format, the opportunity for lower-level teams upsetting a top level squad is a real possibility. That was the case in the seasons 1960, 1962, 2009 & 2010, when the winners were clubs from the second level: Deportes La Serena, Luis Cruz, Unión San Felipe and Municipal Iquique. A major upset almost occurred in the 2008 competition, when Deportes Ovalle (from the third-level league) became finalist, losing 1–2 to Universidad de Concepción at the final, in a very close match.

In some seasons the tournament only included first level teams, that was the case the seasons: 1979 to 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989-Invierno, 1990, 1998 and 2000.

Only two clubs have become double champions (league and cup winners the same season); Colo-Colo in 1981, 1989, 1990 & 1996, and Universidad de Chile in 2000.

Trophy

Copa Chile trophy.

At the end of the final, the winning team is presented with a trophy, also known as the Copa Chile, which they hold until the following year's final.

The cup stands 120 centimetres tall and is made of 8 kg of pure solid silver, its design includes the map of the Chilean territory (being four times around the trophy), made with stones of different colors, carved agate, Onyx and lapis lazuli.

The trophy was forged in 1974, in the Hernán Baeza Rebolledo workshop, located in the commune of San Miguel. Its manufacture took nearly a month.

As well as winning the right to keep the trophy until the start of the next season, the winner gets to have a badge small silver plate at the pedestal of the trophy. The badge has the winners' name and the year of success.

Finals

Ed.YearChampionScoresRunner-upTrophy
11958Colo-Colo (1)2–2[1]Universidad CatólicaCopa Chile
21959Santiago Wanderers (1)5–1Deportes La SerenaCopa Chile
31960Deportes La Serena (1)4–1Santiago WanderersCopa Preparación
41961Santiago Wanderers (2)1–2, 2–0Universidad CatólicaCopa Chile Green Cross
51962Luis Cruz (1)2–1Universidad CatólicaCopa Preparación
1963–1973Not held
61974Colo-Colo (2)3–0Santiago WanderersCopa Chile
71975Palestino (1)4–0Lota SchwagerCopa Chile
1976Not held
81977Palestino (2)4–3Unión EspañolaCopa Chile
1978Not held
91979Universidad de Chile (1)2–1Colo-ColoCopa Polla Gol
101980Deportes Iquique (1)2–1Colo-ColoCopa Polla Gol
111981Colo-Colo (3)5–1Audax ItalianoCopa Polla Gol
121982Colo-Colo (4)[2]Universidad CatólicaCopa Polla Gol
131983Universidad Católica (1)[3]O'HigginsCopa Polla Gol
141984Everton (1)3–0Universidad CatólicaCopa Polla Gol
151985Colo-Colo (5)1–0PalestinoCopa Polla Gol
161986Cobreloa (1)1–0, 0–2, 3–0Fernández VialCopa Polla Lan Chile
171987Cobresal (1)2–0Colo-ColoCopa Lan Chile
181988Colo-Colo (6)1–0Unión EspañolaCopa Digeder
191989Colo-Colo (7)1–0Universidad CatólicaCopa Coca-Cola Digeder
201990Colo-Colo (8)3–2Universidad CatólicaCopa Apertura
211991Universidad Católica (2)1–0CobreloaCopa Chile Digeder
221992Unión Española (1)3–1Colo-ColoCopa Chile
231993Unión Española (2)3–1CobreloaCopa Chile
241994Colo-Colo (9)1–1 4–2 (pen.)O'HigginsCopa Chile
251995Universidad Católica (3)4–2CobreloaCopa Chile
261996Colo-Colo (10)1–1, 1–0RangersCopa Chile Eduardo Simián
1997Not held
271998Universidad de Chile (2)1–1, 2–0Audax ItalianoCopa Apertura
1999Not held
282000Universidad de Chile (3)2–1Santiago MorningCopa Apertura
2001–2007Not held
292008–09Universidad de Concepción (1)2–1Deportes OvalleCopa Chile
302009Unión San Felipe (1)3–0Deportes IquiqueCopa Chile
312010Deportes Iquique (2)1–1 4–3 (pen.)Deportes ConcepciónCopa Chile Bicentenario
322011Universidad Católica (4)0–1, 1–0 4–2 (pen.)MagallanesCopa Chile
332012–13Universidad de Chile (4)2–1Universidad CatólicaCopa Chile MTS
342013–14Deportes Iquique (3)3–1HuachipatoCopa Chile MTS
352014–15Universidad de Concepción (2)3–2PalestinoCopa Chile MTS
362015Universidad de Chile (5)1–1 5–3 (pen.)Colo-ColoCopa Chile MTS
372016Colo-Colo (11)4–0EvertonCopa Chile MTS
382017Santiago Wanderers (3)3–1Universidad de ChileCopa Chile MTS
392018Palestino (3)1–0, 3–2Audax ItalianoCopa Chile MTS
402019Colo-Colo (12)2–1Universidad de ChileCopa Chile MTS
2020Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
412021Colo-Colo (13)2–0EvertonCopa Chile Easy
422022Magallanes (1)2–2 7–6 (pen.)Unión EspañolaCopa Chile Easy
432023Colo-Colo (14)3–1MagallanesCopa Chile Easy
442024Universidad de Chile (6)1–0ÑublenseCopa Chile Coca-Cola Sin Azúcar
452025Huachipato (1)1–1 4–3 (pen.)Deportes LimacheCopa Chile Coca-Cola Sin Azúcar

Notes

  • ^1958 Colo Colo on better goal average over entire tournament.
  • ^1982 Colo Colo win a small final tournament.
  • ^1983 Universidad Católica win a small final tournament.

Titles by club

ClubTitlesRunners-upSeasons wonSeasons runner-up
Colo-Colo1451958, 1974, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1996, 2016, 2019, 2021, 20231979, 1980, 1987, 1992, 2015
Universidad de Chile621979, 1998, 2000, 2012–13, 2015, 20242017, 2019
Universidad Católica481983, 1991, 1995, 20111958, 1961, 1962, 1982, 1984, 1989, 1990, 2013
Palestino321975, 1977, 20181985, 2015
Santiago Wanderers321959, 1961, 20171960, 1974
Deportes Iquique311980, 2010, 2013–142009
Unión Española231992, 19931977, 1988, 2022
Universidad de Concepción22008, 2014–15
Cobreloa1319861991, 1993, 1995
Everton1219842016, 2021
Magallanes1220222011, 2023
Deportes La Serena1119601959
Huachipato1120252014
Luis Cruz11962
Cobresal11987
Unión San Felipe12009
Audax Italiano31981, 1998, 2018
O'Higgins21981, 1998
Lota Schwager11975
Fernández Vial11986
Rangers11996
Santiago Morning12000
Deportes Ovalle12008
Deportes Concepción12010
Ñublense12024
Deportes Limache12025

Titles by region

The following table lists the Chilean Cup champions by region.

RegionNº of titlesClubs
Metropolitan30Colo-Colo (14), Universidad de Chile (6), Universidad Católica (4), Palestino (3), Unión Española (2), Magallanes (1)
Valparaíso5Santiago Wanderers (3), Everton (1), Unión San Felipe (1)
Tarapacá3Deportes Iquique (3)
Biobío3Universidad de Concepción (2), Huachipato (1)
Coquimbo1Deportes La Serena (1)
Maule1Luis Cruz (1)
Antofagasta1Cobreloa (1)
Atacama1Cobresal (1)

Other official cup tournaments

Copa de la República

YearChampionScoresRunner-up
1983Universidad Católica1–0Naval

Copa Invierno

YearChampionScoresRunner-up
1989Unión Española2–0Huachipato

Notes and references

Sources