América de Cali S. A., best known as América de Cali or América, is a Colombian professional football club based in Cali. It competes in the Categoría Primera A, the top-flight league of Colombian football. The team plays its home games at the Estadio Olímpico Pascual Guerrero, one of the most important stadiums in the country. The club is one of the oldest in Colombia; its foundation dates from 1927 and has its origins in the América Football Club, which was founded in 1918. It is also one of the most successful Colombian clubs, both nationally and internationally, being considered one of the strongest and most consistent clubs in the country. América has won 15 league titles and a second division tournament title, in addition to reaching the final of four Copa Libertadores (including three in a row from 1985 to 1987). Although it has never won the Copa Libertadores, it has won two international tournaments, the Copa Simón Bolívar in 1975 and the Copa Merconorte in 1999. In 2011, América was relegated to Categoría Primera B, second division of Colombian football, for the first time in its history. They played there for five seasons, returning to the top flight after winning the Primera B championship in 2016. América has a series of fierce rivalries, most notably with crosstown rivals Deportivo Cali. Matches between them are known as the "Clásico Vallecaucano". Other major rival clubs include Atlético Nacional, Millonarios and Independiente Santa Fe. In 1996, América was ranked by IFFHS as the second best football club in the world, only surpassed by Juventus of Italy. It ranks 37th in the world ranking of the best clubs of all time according to the IFFHS, being the best-placed Colombian team in the list. It is also ranked as the best Colombian club of the 20th century and as the fifth best Colombian club so far in the 21st century. América is also credited as the second best Colombian team in CONMEBOL club tournaments and ranks 37th in the official CONMEBOL club ranking. History Beginning 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.