America Football Club. 1931: The white man with his arms crossed in the front row is Marco Tulio Villalobos, one of America's first goalkeepers. With him are several club legends.

The story goes that on February 13, 1927, the day considered the official founding date, the "new" América played a match against the Marist Brothers team in Yanaconas. The game started at nine o'clock; the first half ended two-nil in favor of América, but they had to let the other team tie it 3-3 to avoid losing the beer and food they had been offered. The precise date was indicated by Benjamín Urrea, one of the founders of the scarlet team, who went down in history with the nickname Garabato.

Once founded, América FC began to win titles. Within a year of its establishment, it won the second-division departmental championship, defeating Alférez Real (formerly Boyacá) in the final. It had also defeated Colombia. América's first championship was won on September 29, 1927.

According to Luis Hernando Lenis, the team's name originated from a seemingly insignificant comment made by the captain of the Uruguayan national team in 1924. "A good name for a team is America," declared the captain of the sky-blue squad; from then on, that's what the red-clad team from Cali has been called. Lenis also said that in a publication of El Gráfico, a columnist's comment, "The little black boys of America look like red devils…," made a particular impression, and from that moment on, the team began to wear all red.

Another theory about the origin of the name and colors, one of the most widely accepted, states that the name was chosen as a tribute to América Foot Ball Club (the 1918 team), and the choice of colors stems from the fact that during the 1931 tour, some team members attended a basketball game as spectators between the teams of Unión Colombia and the Diablos Rojos. The latter wore all red, and as a result, América decided to continue playing in red, from top to bottom, colors that were officially adopted around 1936.

Association Brondy or Ciclista Lima 1931, the Peruvian club toured for a year between Colombia and Venezuela, in Bogotá they faced America de Cali, the only Colombian team to score 2 goals against them.

According to Marco Tulio Villalobos, América's goalkeeper at the time, the team won the second-tier amateur tournament in 1930. Because of this, the club's management considered the possibility of joining the first division in 1931, and to test this possibility, they organized a tournament. América reached the final, where they faced The Cali Football Club (likely, but not confirmed, the predecessor of the current Deportivo Cali), who defeated the red team 1-0. The match was marred by controversy, as the referee disallowed two goals scored by América, allegedly for offside, which cost the team the title, awarded to Cali FC. In protest against what they considered an unjust decision, supporters of the red team published leaflets criticizing the refereeing, which resulted in the club being suspended by the Federation from all regional competitions in the Valle del Cauca region for a year.

In order to maintain football activity, the América de Cali board decided to embark on a tour across the country, becoming the first Colombian club to undertake such an expedition. The club's directors, led by president Luis Carlos Cárdenas, made the decision to play in different locations throughout the country to prevent the institution from dying out.

Their journey began on May 5, 1931, and in Bogotá they played five matches, with América winning four and losing one. They initially defeated Medicina 3-1, then the Bogotá Selection by the same score, followed by a 3-0 victory over the renowned Bartolinos team, and finally a 5-2 win against Escuelas Internacionales. The last match in the capital was against Juventud, and América lost 1-0, thus forfeiting the trophy at stake, the Olaya Herrera Cup. Villalobos's testimony indicates that this last game was lost due to the referee's performance.

América was already leaving the capital when the Peruvian team Association Brondy (which was the same Ciclista Lima owned by businessman Augusto Brondy, hence the name Association Brondy) arrived. This team had also been in Cali and opened the international season against the newly named Diablos Rojos (Red Devils). The team boasted true stars of Peruvian football and naturally won, but América scored two goals against them, a feat no other team in Colombia, not even in Barranquilla, managed to achieve during Brondy's time in the country.

The tour continued along the Caribbean coast. The team took four days to reach Barranquilla via the Magdalena River. In that city, they faced the most important teams from the Atlántico department, winning one game, losing two, and drawing two. They played on a sandy surface, which was unfamiliar to the Scarlet players. In Santa Marta, the tour's organizer abandoned the team, taking the winnings from the matches. It was said that he had fled to Venezuela.

It fell to the governor of the Magdalena department, a leader named Goenaga, to declare América the 'official team'. He also contributed to the team's return trip to Cali by paying half the cost of the tickets. Some legs of the difficult return journey were made by boat from Barranquilla to Puerto Berrío, then to Medellín by train, and finally to Manizales. The players arrived in Cali with a balance of 40 cents, which, to their consolation, was 'good money' at the time.

The victorious América delegation was received at the Hotel Alférez Real by the president of the Valle del Cauca Federation. The first question from the Scarlet players was: "When do we play against Cali to determine who is superior?" It is said that Cali had split into two, Bolívar and Granada, despite evidence of Cali's continuous existence until 1934. Although the team was apparently declared champion due to its achievements, a grand final was played against Bolívar on November 15, 1931, with a 5-1 score. The game took place at four in the afternoon, with Kurt Bieler as referee. América was crowned champion of the tournament after having been dismissed. The Scarlet team would win the departmental title in the 1932 tournament and retain it at least until 1935, as in 1936 they faced Hispania de Palmira in the final. The Red Devils lost by a goal that was initially questionable due to the extremely poor visibility. The referee questioned the Red Devils' goalkeeper, Marco Tulio Villalobos, about whether the ball had completely crossed the goal line, and Villalobos, in a remarkable display of honesty, answered affirmatively. Thus, Hispania defeated the Red Devils 1-0.

America loses its third Copa Libertadores final in 1987 with 8 seconds left in extra time.

Benjamín Urrea, born in 1912, was a dentist from Palmira and also one of the founding members and players of the red team during its amateur era. Urrea was known by the nicknames 'Flaco' (Skinny), 'Varilla' (Rod), and, probably the one that has endured the most, Garabato (Scribble); he was always a staunch opponent of the team's eventual professionalization, especially after achieving notable victories during its amateur period.

There are three versions of the story: the first says that when 'Garabato' realized that Humberto Salcedo Fernández (also known as 'Salcefer' and the team's president at the time) had registered the team with Dimayor, he cursed the club. According to the story, 'Garabato' said: "Let them make it professional, let them do whatever they want with the team... but, by my God, América will never be champion."

The second story says that Urrea went to collect the sum of $200 from the directors of América, for uniforms, and since they did not want to pay him, he became enraged and cursed all the directors, but according to his family, never the club.

The third was published by the newspaper El Colombiano on December 23, 1979. In an interview, Garabato stated that "when they kicked me out, after having served the team so much, I went to a bar called 'El Hoyo' (The Hole), located on Carrera 3 with Calle 17, and surrounded by women of easy virtue, I started drinking and proceeded to take a bottle of aguardiente, squeeze it, and hold it in my hands to the small of my back, and one by one I cursed the players and directors of América. The curse fell upon the team, because they were never able to become champions again..."

In 1979, 'Garabato' and the team's board members held a mass on the pitch of Pascual Guerrero Stadium, during which a document was signed officially declaring the team renewed and ending the curse. That same year, América won the Colombian professional football title for the first time. The following year, journalist Rafael Medina and singer Antonio del Vilar performed a ritual to exorcise the curse in the center of Pascual Guerrero Stadium. However, América has not managed to win the Copa Libertadores, despite reaching four finals and even coming within seconds of winning it, leading some to believe that the curse still lingers in this international tournament.

On January 5, 2008, the popular "Garabato" died in a nursing home in the city of Cali.

In the early years of the forties (1940-1946) foreign teams visited the country to play friendly matches, which led to América, along with important clubs such as Boca Juniors of Cali and the representative teams of Barranquilla and Bogotá, being recognized internationally.

• 1940. He embarked on what would be his first international tour of his neighboring countries, successfully visiting Ecuador and Bolivia.
• In 1945, the team embarked on its second national tour, visiting the cities of Bogotá, Medellín, and Barranquilla. Unlike the 1931 tour, which involved bus travel, this time the team traveled by air. By this time, football was a more popular sport in the country, and the best sports facilities for playing it were available.
• 1946. The Colombian Amateur National Team was crowned champion in Barranquilla at the Central American and Caribbean Games.45​ In that team there were 3 players from América: the 'Maestro' Edgar Mallarino, Faustino Castillo and Dimas Gómez.45​ In this year a young 16-year-old goalkeeper joined the team who many years later would forever change the history of the scarlet team: he was Dr. Gabriel Ochoa Uribe, and at that time his teammates called him 'Ochoíta' for being the youngest of the squad.
• 1947. For the first time, America hires foreigners: the players Zegarra and Montañés, of Peruvian nationality, and the Uruguayan technical director Donaldo Ross.
• 1948. On February 16, Humberto Salcedo Fernández 'Salcefer' and Dr. Manuel Correa Valencia established América as a professional football club, the first of its kind in Colombia. 'Salcefer' was appointed the club's first president and later became president of Dimayor (the Colombian professional football league). That same year, the first edition of the Colombian professional football league was organized, which was ultimately won by Santa Fe. América participated in the tournament and finished in fifth place, under the management of Fernando Paternoster.
  The first official match of the Red Devils in the Colombian professional championship was played on August 15th.
• 1948. At the Pascual Guerrero stadium, the Scarlet team hosted Deportivo Independiente Medellín. The first goal in the professional era of América was scored by Inocencio Paz Lasso, better known as 'Cencio', and the final score of the Scarlet's debut was 4-0.
• 1949. Colombian football underwent a major transformation with the arrival of Adolfo Pedernera at Millonarios, and shortly after, Alfredo Di Stéfano and Néstor Raúl Rossi, also joining the same club. This marked the beginning of the era known as 'El Dorado'. Clubs opened their borders to all kinds of Argentine players, who arrived without transfer fees to various teams in the professional league. The finances of the Scarlet team weren't in a position to sign big-name stars; however, through a significant effort, they brought in Argentines Moisés Emilio Reuben as player-coach, Manuel Spagnolo, Julio Tocker, and César Castagno; Costa Rican Rafael Ángel 'Fellow' García; Ecuadorian Ulpiano Arias; and Colombian goalkeeper Efraín 'El Caimán' Sánchez after his stint with San Lorenzo de Almagro in Argentina. The season was mediocre; América finished in 10th place in the championship.

The 1950s were a difficult time for América de Cali. The financial situation of many of the clubs in the national league was far from ideal, due to the high salaries earned by the players who had arrived in the country since 1949. The situation worsened in 1951 after the signing of the Pact of Lima, a document that obligated teams to return foreign players to their clubs of origin, thus allowing FIFA to reverse its decision to expel Colombia from the international stage. The Pact of Lima also brought an end to the era of El Dorado. The absence of star players and the clear superiority of Millonarios over the other competitors ultimately drove fans away from the stadiums.

América was not immune to these difficult times, and for economic reasons, it was absent from the 1953 tournament. It was also a challenging period in terms of sporting results. The best performance of the decade was a sixth-place finish in the 1952 professional championship. Between 1954 and 1959, the team fluctuated between the middle and bottom of the table, with its worst performances coming in 1958 and 1959, when it finished in last place. It is worth noting that in 1959, América almost did not participate in the tournament; however, the reappearance of Deportivo Cali, the city's other team after the demise of Boca Juniors, encouraged Pedro Sellares, the president at the time, to enter the championship.

Although the decade had a promising start, the 1960s for América was another period marked by mixed seasons. Highlights of this decade include two runner-up finishes and one third-place finish, in addition to the two national titles won by the Reserve Team in 1966 and 1967.

• 1960: The team was, once again, on the verge of not participating. Aníbal Aguirre Arias, aware of América's difficult financial situation, began to arrange for the return of Boca Juniors, who would use the slot vacated by América. Some América directors, led by Dr. Manuel Correa Valencia, fought to prevent the red team from disappearing. Their efforts were rewarded when the president of Dimayor at the time supported the cause of the América directors. Aguirre Arias, who had practically signed Adolfo Pedernera to manage Boca Juniors, ended up bringing him to América. Under the Argentine coach, América achieved the first runner-up finish in its history. The key to this strong performance was the squad Pedernera assembled, made up of excellent national and international players, such as Camilo Rodolfo Cervino, Juan Manuel López, Arcángel Brittos, Jorge Mousegne, Jaime 'Charol' González, and Carlos Montaño. The champion would be Independiente Santa Fe, managed by Julio Tocker.
• 1961: América returns to the middle of the table. In the 1961 tournament, they finished eighth. During the year, they had three managers: the maestro Pedernera, the Uruguayan Manuel Sanguinetti, and the Paraguayan Porfirio Rolón. The only truly remarkable statistic of this campaign refers to the score of one match: during the second half of the championship, América defeated Deportivo Cali 5-0, the largest margin of victory in a Valle del Cauca derby. The goals were scored by Luis C. Paz, Máximo Rolón (twice), Manuel Blanco, and Camilo Cervino.
• 1967: América finished third, after six years in the middle of the table. The manager was the philosopher Julio Tocker.56 Another relevant fact of this campaign was the unbeaten streak achieved by the Scarlet team, going 22 matches without a loss. Unión Magdalena would be the 'executioner' of that streak, defeating América 4-0 in Santa Marta.
• 1969: Under the management of Argentine Ángel Perucca, América achieved its second runner-up finish in history, putting together a strong campaign. Perucca had joined the Red Devils the previous year and had led them to a sixth-place finish. Deportivo Cali would go on to win the championship, defeating América and Millonarios in the final three-team playoff. The Red Devils boasted several important players, both Colombian and foreign, most notably Hugo Horacio Lóndero, who would go on to become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Colombian league.

América de Cali. 1979: Standing: Julio Édgar “Chonto” Gaviria, Luis Eduardo Reyes, Luis Alegría Valencia, Gabriel Chaparro (full-back), Wilson Américo Quiñónez (tough defensive midfielder), Carlos Alfredo Gay (Argentine goalkeeper, formerly of Independiente de Avellaneda and River Plate). Kneeling: Víctor Lugo (forward), Juan Manuel Bataglia (Paraguayan, right winger at that time, winger today), Gerardo González Aquino (Paraguayan), Jorge Ramon Cáceres (Argentine, forward), Álvaro Muñoz Castro.

The 1970s marked the beginning of América's golden era. Achievements such as the first Colombian professional football title, the first participation in the Copa Libertadores, and the first international title in the Copa Simón Bolívar (although this tournament was not recognized by FIFA, it is considered an official tournament as it was organized by the Venezuelan Football Federation) all came during this period; however, it should be noted that the beginning of the decade was uneven, and the best results came towards the end.

• 1970 : Thanks to their runner-up finish the previous year, América participated in the Copa Libertadores for the first time. However, due to the absence of Brazilian clubs in that edition, América faced a greater challenge, as they were grouped with six teams from three countries, but only had two spots available for the next stage. The other three groups, each with only four teams (two per country), also had two spots. Their opponents in the first stage were their local rivals, Deportivo Cali, and the Chilean teams Universidad de Chile (who would go on to reach the semifinals) and Rangers de Talca, as well as the Paraguayan teams Guaraní and Olimpia. Their performance was modest, as the Red Devils did not advance beyond the first round. In the domestic league, América failed to qualify for the final four, finishing tenth in the Apertura and fifth in the Clausura.
• 1971-1977 : Except for 1974, when they finished second in the Finalización tournament and advanced to the final hexagonal stage, ultimately finishing last, América had no significant presence in the Colombian league. Their greatest achievement during this period was winning the Copa Simón Bolívar title in the first half of 1976, under the guidance of coach Antonio d'Accorso. This was an important title in that international friendly tournament, which that year also included clubs from Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia.
• 1978 : Surpassing their second-place finish in 1974, which until then had been their best performance, América achieved their first-ever first-place finish in the Torneo Finalización, thus securing a spot in the semifinal quadrangular. Their lack of experience prevented the Red Devils from reaching the championship group, as they were unable to hold onto victories that slipped away in the final minutes. They finished last in their group, one point behind second place.65 The coach was Uruguayan Víctor Pignanelli, who had played for América during part of the 1960s. Pignanelli left somewhat disgruntled with the América management, as they entered into negotiations at the end of the year with Argentine Juan Carlos Lorenzo, even though Pignanelli's contract had not yet expired (it ended on December 31). Finally, Lorenzo, who won the Copa Libertadores that year with Boca Juniors, did not accept the position and on December 12 it was announced that Pignanelli's replacement would be the doctor Gabriel Ochoa Uribe.
• 1979 : Thirty-one years after the start of professional football in Colombia, América won its first title in what is considered the most important year in the club's history. Under the management of Gabriel Ochoa Uribe, the Red Devils finished second in the Apertura tournament and won the Finalización. In the semifinal quadrangulars, América finished second in Group A, thus securing a place in the final quadrangular. After three wins, two draws, and one loss, América was crowned champion of the national tournament, with Independiente Santa Fe as runner-up. The final match was against Unión Magdalena on December 19. A 2-0 victory, in front of a packed stadium, gave the scarlet team the long-awaited title.
• The roster that won the championship boasted excellent players, such as Luis Alegría Valencia, Aurelio José Pascuttini, Gabriel Chaparro, Luis Eduardo Reyes, Wilson Américo Quiñónez, Carlos Alfredo Gay, Juan Manuel Battaglia, Gerardo González Aquino, Víctor Lugo, Jorge Ramón Cáceres, and Alfonso Cañón , among others. The date of the title win would become a landmark in América's history. "That 19th" is the name given to that day by América fans. A song of the same name was performed by Alberto Beltrán, which over time became an anthem for the Scarlet supporters.

America de Cali 1984: Juan Caicedo, Julio C. Falcioni, Henry Viáfara, Gonzalo Soto, Carlos González Puche, Gerardo González, Anthony de Ávila, Eduardo Pimentel, Willington Ortiz, César Cueto and Juan Manuel Battaglia.

The 1980s were one of América's best periods, as they won five consecutive national titles between 1982 and 1986 and three consecutive runner-up finishes in the Copa Libertadores in 1985, 1986, and 1987. Their worst finish in the national tournament was third place. They also incorporated some of the greatest national and foreign players that Colombian football has ever seen and even had the most expensive squad on the continent.

• 1980 began well for América. Although they didn't win the title, they finished second in the Apertura, third in the Finalización, and third in the national tournament. They boasted great football stars like Uruguayan goalkeeper Ladislao Mazurkiewicz and Carlos Horacio Miori; they also had a successful run in the Copa Libertadores, reaching the semifinals for the first time.
• 1981 Again, it obtains third place in the national championship, hires some of the most important figures in its history such as Julio César Falcioni and Roque Alfaro, also wins the Apertura tournament for the first time and occupies 7th place in the Finalización.
• In 1982, América was crowned national champion for the second time in its history, this time against Millonarios in Bogotá. Furthermore, for the first time in Colombia, it won the Apertura, Finalización, and Octagonal Final tournaments. This season also saw the arrival of Antony de Ávila, from Santa Marta, who would later become the club's all-time leading scorer.
• In 1983, the club won its second consecutive title, in a hard-fought series against Junior of Barranquilla and Atlético Nacional. América boasted one of the most important signings in the club's history, Willington Ortiz, who was transferred from Deportivo Cali for an undisclosed fee. They also retained players like Humberto Sierra, who years later moved to Chilean football to play for Deportes La Serena. That year they also reached the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores.
• In 1984, América won their fourth national title, again against Millonarios.⁶⁹ This season, they added other star players such as the Peruvians César Cueto and Guillermo La Rosa, and Alex Escobar made his debut with the first team. For the second time, they won the Apertura (Copa de La Paz), the Finalización, and the final Octagonal tournament, which awarded the year's title. They also surpassed their 1967 record of 22 unbeaten matches, achieving 23. Their performance in the Copa Libertadores was less than stellar, as they failed to advance beyond the first round.
• In 1985, América secured their fifth national title against Junior of Barranquilla by a single goal, scored by Juan Manuel Battaglia. The team finished first in the Finalización tournament, and in the final eight-team playoff, they achieved a valuable victory in the penultimate match against Deportivo Cali, putting them within striking distance of their fifth championship, which they ultimately won. It was also the first time a Colombian goalkeeper had won a title with the Red Devils, defending the scarlet goal, an honor that went to Reynel Ruiz. That year, América signed international players Ricardo Gareca and Roberto Cabañas. It was an important year as they also reached the final of the Copa Libertadores for the first time, losing to Argentinos Juniors. In the first leg in Buenos Aires, Argentinos Juniors won 1-0, and in the second leg in Cali, América won by the same score with a goal by Willington Ortiz. The third and decisive match was played in Asunción and ended in a 1-1 draw. The match was decided by penalties, which Argentinos Juniors won. Interestingly, Julio César Falcioni was originally slated to take América's final penalty, but at the last minute the Argentine goalkeeper refused, and Antony de Ávila took the shot instead. De Ávila missed, thus eliminating América from the final. It's also worth noting that the referee for this match, Chilean Hernán Silva, allowed an illegal movement by goalkeeper Enrique Vidallé, which enabled him to stop the young player from Santa Marta's penalty kick.
• In 1986 , América became champions for the sixth time, setting a record of five consecutive titles. The title was won against their local rivals, Deportivo Cali, and once again in a fierce competition with them and Millonarios. They were runners-up again in the Copa Libertadores, this time against River Plate of Argentina. The Argentine team was superior to América on that occasion and won both matches, with a standout performance from Juan Gilberto Funes.
• In 1987, América finished as runner-up in the Colombian league, behind Millonarios, and also reached the Copa Libertadores final for the third consecutive time, against Peñarol of Uruguay. América won the first leg in Cali 2-0 with goals from Battaglia and Cabañas, and Peñarol won the second leg 2-1 in Montevideo with Cabañas scoring for Peñarol. The tiebreaker was played in Santiago, Chile, where América was the champion until the final 10 seconds of the match when Diego Aguirre scored to give Peñarol a 1-0 lead, thus ending América's third Copa Libertadores final. It's worth noting that América faced several difficulties traveling to Chile. For example, their plane broke down, forcing the team to sleep at the airport. Later, there were no hotel reservations available, and the team spent the entire day at Carrasco Airport. Due to these setbacks, rumors of sabotage began to circulate, but nothing was ever proven.
• 1988 Another average season. They finished third in the national tournament, behind Millonarios and Atlético Nacional. They also reached the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores, where they were eliminated by Nacional of Uruguay.
• The 1989 tournament went down in history due to the murder of referee Álvaro Ortega. América won both phases of the round-robin stage (the Apertura and Finalización tournaments) and finished third in the Copa Colombia, which was won by Santa Fe. While the Colombian championship semifinals were underway, referee Ortega was murdered, leading to the tournament's cancellation. Colombian striker Sergio Angulo joined the team that season.

The 1990s were also very successful for América de Cali, as in this decade they achieved 3 championships (1990, 1992 and 1997), 3 runner-up finishes (1991, 1995 and 1999), a runner-up finish in the 1996 Copa Libertadores and their second international title: the Copa Merconorte in 1999. With these achievements, América began another decade of success in which the dominant teams were América itself, Atlético Nacional, Deportivo Cali and Junior de Barranquilla.

• In 1990, they won their seventh title against Santa Fe in Bogotá with a goal by Sergio 'Checho' Angulo, marking the third time in their history they won every tournament of the year. This title was the last for Dr. Ochoa Uribe as manager.
• In 1991, América finished as runner-up in the national tournament and reached the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores. Colombian teams were prohibited from playing home games in their country, so América played their "home" matches at the Orange Bowl in Miami. The first time the Copa Libertadores was played in the United States was in the match between América and Atlético Nacional. América won the game with a goal by Antony de Ávila after a mistake by Higuita. In December, after the conclusion of the final four of the Colombian tournament, Dr. Gabriel Ochoa Uribe retired from the team and from football altogether.
• In 1992, América became Colombian champions for the eighth time, again defeating Deportivo Cali with a goal from Freddy Rincón and two from "Pipa" de Ávila. This title was won under the management of Francisco Maturana and with the assistance of Diego Umaña. Also that year, they reached the Copa Libertadores semifinals, where they were eliminated by Marcelo Bielsa's Newell's Old Boys in a dramatic penalty shootout that ended 10-11. América's final penalty was saved by the Newell's goalkeeper, then hit the post and missed the goal, giving the victory to the Argentine team.
• In 1993, América finished fourth in the national tournament but again reached the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores, where they were eliminated by Universidad Católica, again in a dramatic fashion, this time with a goal by Ricardo Lunari, which gave the Chileans the qualification in the 87th minute; During the development of the continental championship, they became the first Colombian team (and so far the only one) to triumph at the Maracanã stadium, beating Flamengo 1-3 with goals from Jorge da Silva, Freddy Rincón and Javier Ferreira.
• In 1994, América finished third in the Colombian tournament, behind their classic rivals Atlético Nacional and Millonarios; however, they secured a place in the Copa Conmebol the following year.
  1995 Runner-up in Colombia with coach Diego Edison Umaña after an intense head-to-head battle with Junior, in addition to a third place in the Conmebol Cup.
• In 1996, América participated in the Copa Libertadores and finished as runner-up for the fourth time, once again losing to River Plate of Argentina. The first leg in Cali was won by América 1-0 with a goal from Anthony de Ávila, a near-Olympic strike into the top corner. In the second leg, River Plate took an early 1-0 lead with a goal from Hernán Crespo. Crespo then scored again, making it 2-0, after an incredible error by goalkeeper Óscar Córdoba, who came out of his area and misjudged the clearance. In the domestic league, América reached the final four, where they finished last.
  1996-1997 This was the longest tournament in Colombian history (and perhaps the world), lasting 16 months. However, América, under the guidance of Luis Augusto 'Chiqui' García, held first place throughout the tournament and won their ninth Colombian championship against Atlético Bucaramanga (winners of the "Torneo Adecuación"), with goals from Leonardo Fabio "El Cantante" Moreno, Adolfo 'Tren' Valencia, and Julián "El Matador" Téllez. At the beginning of 1997, they were ranked second in the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) world club rankings with 261.5 points, surpassed only by Juventus of Italy with 335 points. García's overall record under García was 76 matches played, with 41 wins, 20 draws, and 15 losses. They earned 148 points, with 113 goals for and 69 against. The 1996-97 champion América team won 14 consecutive matches.
• In November 1998 , coach Diego Edison Umaña was forced to resign from the team due to serious health problems. He was replaced by the coach of the Red Devils' youth divisions. At the time, he was a complete unknown, and the country's sports press questioned his ability to manage the professional squad. His name: Jaime de la Pava. The team finished sixth in the league, qualifying for the semifinal quadrangulars where they finished third in their group. In that year's Copa Libertadores, they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Cerro Porteño.
• In 1999, under the technical direction of Jaime de la Pava, ratified by the board of directors to continue leading the first team, plus the assistance of Diego Barragán, América secured a spot to compete in the Colombian football final in December and to represent Colombia in the 2000 Copa Libertadores. After playing two finals in less than three days, América finished 1999 with extraordinary achievements: runner-up in the 1999 Mustang Tournament against Atlético Nacional on penalties and champion of the 1999 Copa Merconorte against Santa Fe by the same means, the first international tournament they won in their history.

The new millennium marked a stark contrast for Club América. Although the team won four league titles (2000, 2001, 2002-I, 2008-II), finished as runner-up once (2008-I), and had notable performances in international tournaments (Copa Libertadores 2003), the institution entered a deep economic crisis, largely due to the restrictions imposed by the Clinton List. This had repercussions on the field (leading to América's near relegation in 2007 and 2010, and their eventual relegation in 2011) as well as administratively, as the club was unable to manage bank accounts or negotiate kit sponsorships with various private companies. América relied on its youth academy, which produced players who have been crucial to the club's success throughout the first decade of the new millennium.

• In 2000 , América finished second in the Torneo Apertura and first in the Torneo Finalización, thus securing a spot in the Copa Libertadores. In the final four-team tournament, they finished first, crowning themselves champions of the Colombian league for the tenth time. The final match was against Deportes Tolima, where América won 2-0 with goals from Luis Asprilla and Néstor Salazar. It was also the first time a coach from the Valle del Cauca region had won a championship managing a team from the same region; the honor went to the coach known as "El Profesor de la Pava" (The Turkey). In that year's Copa Libertadores, América faced Rosario Central of Argentina, Sporting Cristal of Peru, and Atlético Colegiales of Paraguay. They advanced from the first round with 16 points. In the round of 16, they faced América of Mexico and were eliminated after losing 2-1 in Mexico and 2-3 in Bogotá. It is worth noting that América's home matches in the Cup were played at El Campín stadium in Bogotá, due to the repairs being carried out at the Pascual Guerrero Olympic Stadium.
• In 2001 , in the last long tournament to date, Jaime de la Pava's América was crowned champion for the eleventh time after defeating Deportivo Independiente Medellín 3-0 on aggregate. In the first leg in Medellín, they won 1-0, and in the second leg, they won 2-0 with goals from Edison "Guigo" Mafla and Julián Vásquez. "Guigo" was the star of that match, scoring a spectacular free-kick goal and providing the assist for Julián Vásquez's second goal. They also had a good run in the Copa Libertadores, reaching the quarterfinals. The Red Devils were surprisingly eliminated by Rosario Central in a penalty shootout, where the valiant efforts of América goalkeeper Luis Barbat, who saved several penalties, proved futile.
• In 2002 , in the first short tournament, América won its twelfth star at the Atanasio Girardot Stadium against Atlético Nacional. With this championship, they achieved a three-peat (three consecutive titles) under the management of Jaime de la Pava (who left the team at the end of this tournament), thus becoming the only team to have won five consecutive titles and three consecutive championships. In the 2002 Copa Libertadores, América faced Bolívar of Bolivia, Olmedo of Ecuador, and Atlético Paranaense of Brazil (it's also worth noting that for the first time, a Colombian team defeated a Brazilian team 5-0, as happened with América and Paranaense). They advanced from the first phase as group leaders. In the round of 16, América faced Nacional of Uruguay, losing 1-0 in Montevideo and drawing 0-0 in Cali, thus being eliminated from the tournament. In that year's Copa Sudamericana, they faced Atlético Nacional and were eliminated in the first round, losing 3-1 on aggregate to the Colombian club. In the Finalización tournament, they failed to qualify for the final, being eliminated in their group by Deportivo Pasto.
• In 2003 , América participated again in the Copa Libertadores and once more reached the semifinals after a rather poor start (losing 1-5 to Brazilian side Santos). The Scarlet team finished second in their group. In the round of 16, América defeated Racing Club de Avellaneda on penalties in the second leg in Argentina. América's goalkeeper, Róbinson Zapata, became the hero of the night after saving Racing's final penalty and scoring América's own. In the quarterfinals, their opponent was River Plate of Argentina, a team that had defeated them in two previous Copa Libertadores finals: in the first leg, River Plate won 2-1 with a goal scored in second-half extra time; in the second leg in Cali, América thrashed River Plate 4-1 and advanced to the semifinals, where they were eliminated by Boca Juniors. In the Apertura tournament, they qualified for the quadrangular stage, where they finished third in their group, while in the Finalización tournament, they failed to qualify for the finals, finishing eleventh.
• In 2004, under the management of Alberto Suárez, who joined the team as a youth development coach, América had a strong Apertura campaign, finishing first in the standings but ultimately disappointing in the title race. Their performance in the Finalización tournament was very similar, falling short of the final and finishing third. The highlight of the season was winning the overall standings and securing a comfortable qualification for the 2005 Copa Libertadores.
• 2005 was a very inconsistent year for América. In the Apertura tournament, they were eliminated in the round-robin stage (11th place), but they qualified for the quadrangular stage of the Torneo Finalización. However, they finished third in their group and did not qualify for international competition in 2006. In the Copa Libertadores that year, América faced Mineros of Venezuela in the preliminary round, and after defeating them, advanced to the group stage where they faced Libertad of Paraguay, Independiente Medellín, and Atlético Paranaense of Brazil. América was eliminated from the tournament in the first round.
• 2006 was a bad year for América, as they were eliminated in the Apertura tournament after a heavy 6-0 defeat to Atlético Nacional on the final matchday. Their performance in the Finalización tournament was even worse, as they finished second to last (17th), only ahead of Envigado FC, who were relegated to the Primera B.
• In the 2007 Apertura tournament, América failed to qualify for the playoffs, finishing in 13th place. After three tournaments without reaching the semifinals of Colombian football (the last time being in the second half of 2005), América finally qualified by finishing third in the round-robin stage of the 2007 Finalización Tournament under the management of Diego Edison Umaña, who took over the team mid-year. Thanks to his good work, the Scarlet team secured a spot in the 2008 Copa Sudamericana, along with Deportivo Cali, their local rival. Due to his outstanding achievements, the América board extended Diego Umaña's contract from mid-2008, as initially agreed, until December of that year.
• In the 2008 preseason, América won the Cafam International Cup 50 Years, defeating Santa Fe on penalties in the first match and Millonarios 1-0 in the final. In the Apertura Tournament, América had one of its best campaigns since winning the title in 2002, reaching the final, which they lost to the surprising Boyacá Chicó 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw, thus missing out on the team's thirteenth title. América finished second in the standings with 40 points. Interestingly, during this tournament, the Red Devils achieved their biggest victory in the Valle del Cauca Derby in the last decade, with a 4-0 win on Saturday, March 22. They also participated in the 2008 Copa Sudamericana, eliminating Unión Atlético Maracaibo in the first round and then their city rivals, Deportivo Cali. In the round of 16, América was eliminated by Botafogo of Brazil after beating them 1-0 in the first leg played in Cali, but lost 3-1 away from home.
• 2008-II On December 21, América de Cali was crowned champion of Colombia for the thirteenth time, winning the Torneo Finalización after defeating Independiente Medellín in a thrilling final. The aggregate score was 4-1 in favor of the Scarlet team. With this victory, América equaled Millonarios' number of titles.
• 2009 was a disastrous year for América, both on and off the field (the club even owed its players ten paychecks). In the Apertura tournament, they failed to qualify for the semifinals, finishing in thirteenth place. They were also eliminated from the group stage of the 2009 Copa Libertadores, finishing last with three points from three draws and three losses.
• In the Torneo Finalización, their campaign was even worse than in the first half of the year, as they finished last in the standings and consequently failed to qualify for the playoffs. It was the worst tournament in América de Cali's history. The team finished last in the year's overall standings. Due to the poor results and strained relations with the board of directors, Diego Umaña was dismissed as América's head coach. His replacement for the following year was Juan Carlos Grueso, who had been coaching the youth divisions and became the interim manager after Umaña's departure. Mr. Grueso arrived with good intentions, but the pressure of the poor results and the corruption within the institution made his tenure as head coach very short-lived.

As a result of economic, managerial and sporting problems, America entered an institutional crisis, culminating in the team's relegation in the 2011 season, in addition to several changes in management and administrations between 2010 and 2012.

• In 2010, América repeated its poor sporting results in the Apertura Tournament. The campaign left them in 16th place, which led to the dismissal of Juan Carlos Grueso and the arrival of a fan favorite: Jorge Bermúdez.
  The campaign under 'Patrón' Bermúdez was disappointing, and after a poor run of results and some disagreements with the board, he was relieved of his duties and replaced by another former player, Álvaro Aponte. With Aponte at the helm, the team achieved its initial objective of avoiding relegation and even managed to fight for a place in the semifinals of the Torneo Finalización until the final matchday. Thanks to this success, and with the intention of starting a more successful project, Aponte was confirmed in his position for 2011.
  Participation in the Promotion and return to First Division A
• 2011 began with a successful preseason, with América winning the Cafam Cup for the second time, defeating Santa Fe in the first match and Millonarios 2-1 in the final. They also played friendlies in Peru. The Apertura tournament started without their new signings for the first three matches due to a decision by Dimayor (the Colombian professional football league) related to outstanding debts. Once the issue was resolved, all the new players were able to play. It was a difficult year, as they had to play their home matches in Palmira. They narrowly missed the final quadrangular stage of the league and, due to unpaid wages, forfeited three matches in the Copa Colombia, being eliminated after having led their group. In the Finalización tournament, América strengthened their squad with several players who had been key figures in previous seasons, including Julián Viáfara, Rubén Bustos, Hernando Patiño, Jairo Castillo, Paulo Arango, and Jersson González. After only two matches (one draw and one loss), manager Álvaro Aponte was replaced by Wilson Piedrahita. With only two matches remaining in the round-robin phase, the team was left to play in the relegation playoff series against the runner-up of the Primera B to determine its place in the top flight. For the first time in Colombian football history, one of the so-called "big" teams was playing to avoid relegation.85 Although qualifying for the playoffs was virtually impossible before the final matchday, they managed to qualify in eighth place after a series of favorable results in the matches on that day. Once Caldas eliminated the Red Devils with a 2-0 aggregate score. In the relegation playoff, they faced Patriotas Boyacá; after both matches ended in a 1-1 draw, the Cali team lost 4-3 on penalties and was relegated for the first time in 63 years in the top division.
• In 2012, the team embarked on its first season in the Categoría Primera B under the technical direction of Eduardo Lara, who had led the most successful projects for the Colombian national youth teams. Based on this experience, a roster was assembled featuring outstanding players. From these youth development programs came Libis Arenas, Luciano Ospina, John Stiven Mendoza, Yamilson Rivera, Álex Díaz, Javier Calle, and several national and international reinforcements. The Red Devils achieved a remarkable campaign, winning the Torneo Apertura championship against Unión Magdalena on penalties, remaining undefeated at home and achieving one of the best performances in the history of the division. Furthermore, for the first time in five Copa Colombia appearances, they qualified for the Round of 16 as the undefeated leader of Group E with 22 points, the best team in the regular season of the entire tournament, thus concluding one of the team's best seasons in recent years. In the second half of the year, they missed their first chance at direct promotion by failing to qualify for the Torneo II final. In the promotion playoff, they lost to Alianza Petrolera on penalties. In the promotion series, they lost to Cúcuta Deportivo 5-3 on aggregate, thus forfeiting promotion in their first year.
• 2013 was América's second consecutive year in the Categoría Primera B, this time under the technical direction of Diego Umaña, the architect of the Red Devils' last title in the first division and champion with Junior de Barranquilla and Juan Aurich of Peru. The team assembled the most expensive roster of all its campaigns in the second division, names like Alexis Viera, Pedro Tavima, Luis Cardoza, Juan Gilberto Núñez, Johan Arango and foreign reinforcements of Brazilian origin such as Wander Luiz or Flávio Carvalho and the Englishman George Saunders were in charge of seeking promotion to the top category, however, the results in the two regular phases could not be maintained in the final stages and the red team did not achieve the objective of the season, resigning another year in the second division.
• 2014. América's third consecutive year in the second division, this time under the technical direction of Jhon Jairo López for almost the entire season, was unlike the previous campaign. The attempt to achieve promotion was made with experienced players and emerging "stars" of the category, as well as the experiment of bringing in Spanish players Jesús Suárez, Jorge Brazalez, Diego Gregori, and Diego Cascón Sandoval. In the first half of the season, América flirted with the hope of promotion but fell spectacularly to Jaguares de Córdoba with an aggregate score of 5-2 in the first half of the season. At the end of the season, the team barely qualified for the playoffs in eighth place and finished last in their group, now managed by Luis Augusto García, failing once again to achieve their main aspiration, concluding poorly with their worst campaign during their time in the second division.
• In 2015, the team participated in the controversial promotion playoffs in January, which offered two direct spots in the Liga Águila. They had a very poor showing, being eliminated in the second match under the management of Luis Augusto "Chiqui" García, with only minor reinforcements. The standout player was Ayron del Valle, who would become América's star player and the standout of the tournament that season. In February, Fernando Velasco took over as manager to lead the club in the championship, bringing in legendary striker Ernesto Farías and Néider Morantes. The team's performance was inconsistent throughout the first half of the season, relying heavily on the Morantes-Farías-Del Valle trio, achieving mixed results. In August, José Alberto Suárez, who had previously served as the club's Sporting Director, was replaced as manager. Coach Suárez began a new era with América, significantly improving the team's performance in the second half of the year. This led to a third-place finish in the league, qualifying them for the December promotion playoffs. However, their hopes of returning to the top flight were dashed once again after a home loss to Atlético Bucaramanga, the team that ultimately earned promotion. After failing for the fourth time to achieve promotion back to the top tier, América underwent a complete overhaul with the aim of reaching that goal in 2016. Alberto Suárez remained as head coach, and the focus shifted to strengthening the defense, the team's main weakness.

Cristian "El Camión" Martínez Borja and Ernesto "El Tecla" Farías, the architects of the two goals that secured América de Cali's return to the first division of Colombian football. Photo: El País de Cali.

• 2016 began with high expectations after the previous year's end. The arrival of new sponsors and the board's commitment to building a strong team promised a great season. However, in April, Alberto Suárez was dismissed despite having the team qualified with a respectable campaign. The board, led by President Tulio Gómez, wanted a winning and disciplined coach, and the chosen one was Hernán Torres Oliveros from Ibagué, remembered for having given Millonarios FC their last title and for his outstanding campaigns with Deportes Tolima and Itagüí.
  After an excellent campaign that left them second in the regular season standings behind Deportivo Pereira with a 16-game unbeaten streak, América qualified for the final quadrangular stage, placed in Group B. On November 27th, in the last match of the quadrangular stage against Deportes Quindío, their most important rival in the group and the team with the best chance of promotion, América prevailed in a dramatic 2-1 victory, securing their return to the Primera A. In the season final, the Red Devils won the season final 5-1 on aggregate against the tournament's surprise team, Tigres Fútbol Club, thus crowning a great 2016.
• 2017 : In 2017, back in Liga A, América played a leading role in both tournaments (Liga Aguila I and II), qualifying for the semifinals.
  In the second tournament after a bad run, technical director Hernán Torres leaves his position and the legendary Jorge "El Polilla" Da Silva is hired as the new coach, who begins work by saving the category and definitively moving America away from relegation.
• Currently, our club is one of the most popular football teams in Colombia. It has over 8 million fans, located throughout the country and a large number in the Colombian diaspora across South America, North America, and Europe. "Passion of a People" is the slogan most associated with and used as a reference for our brand. América is recognized by FIFA and the global football community as one of the Classic Clubs of the World.

Jorge "El Polilla" Da Silva celebrates with his players the winning goal for América in their debut.

• In sporting terms, 2018 was the most difficult year for the club since its return to the top tier of Colombian professional football, as América de Cali failed to advance beyond the round-robin stage in either of the two championships. In the first half of the year, Los Rojos (The Reds) accumulated 22 points, falling 5 points short of qualifying for the top eight. In the second half of the year, the team managed by Fernando 'Pecoso' Castro earned 3 more points than in the first season, but it was enough to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Liga Águila II.
• In 2019, Tulio Gómez, President of the Board of Directors of América de Cali, made adjustments, and the results were evident throughout the two seasons. In the Liga Águila I, the Valle del Cauca team finished the first phase as the fourth-best team in the tournament and advanced to the final four of the championship, where they fell four points short of qualifying for the grand final.
• In the second half of the year, América de Cali hired Alexandre Guimarães as manager and signed players who injected quality and experience into the squad. The start of the season wasn't easy, because although the team was always among the top eight, their style of play was met with resistance from a segment of the fans. However, as the matches progressed, the Brazilian manager's approach took hold, and his team managed to reach the league final , where on December 7th they defeated Junior de Barranquilla 2-0 and won their long-awaited 14th title , ending an 11-year drought without a first-division championship. Furthermore, the team from Valle del Cauca qualified for the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, the most important club tournament on the continent.
• The success of this Board of Directors was also reflected in the management of Marcela Gómez, Vice President of the club and President of the women's team, who in the same year as the 14th, managed to assemble a squad that became champion of the third edition of the Liga Águila Femenina and also took third place in the 2019 Copa Libertadores Femenina.

In 2020, only one league season was played due to the pandemic that brought football to a halt in Colombia and around the world. Under the management of Juan Cruz Real, América de Cali won the title that was contested that year after defeating Independiente Santa Fe 3-2 on aggregate in the final, thus becoming two-time Colombian champions.

With that title, the scarlet team achieved its 15th star, leaving it one behind Millonarios and two behind Atlético Nacional.

• In the 2022 Women's League, América was crowned champion once again, defeating their crosstown rivals, Deportivo Cali, in the final with an aggregate score of 4-3. Catalina Usme was again the team's and the season's top scorer with 15 goals, extending her lead as the all-time leading scorer for the Scarlet team and in the Women's Professional League. As champions, they achieved third place in the Copa Libertadores Femenina that year, after having finished as runners-up in 2021.

• América de Cali strengthened its squad in all areas of the field, aiming to be a leading team locally and to compete in an international tournament again.