| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country | Ecuador |
| Dates | 15 February – 8 March |
| Teams | 9 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Uruguay (7th title) |
| Runners-up |  Brazil |
| Third place |  Argentina |
| Fourth place |  Bolivia |
← 1979 1983 → | |
The South American Youth Championship 1981 was held in Guayaquil and Quito, Ecuador. It also served as qualification for the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship.
The following teams entered the tournament:
(Peru withdrew due to the Paquisha War)
| Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay
|
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 5 |
| Bolivia
|
4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 5 |
 Ecuador
|
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 4 |
 Paraguay
|
4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
 Colombia
|
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | –5 | 2 |
| 15 February | Colombia
|
1–1 | Paraguay
|
| Uruguay
|
1–1 | Bolivia
| |
| 18 February | Bolivia
|
2–1 | Paraguay
|
| Ecuador
|
3–1 | Colombia
| |
| 20 February | Bolivia
|
1–1 | Ecuador
|
| Paraguay
|
2–1 | Uruguay
| |
| 22 February | Colombia
|
0–0 | Bolivia
|
| Uruguay
|
2–1 | Ecuador
| |
| 25 February | Uruguay
|
4–1 | Colombia
|
| Ecuador
|
2–2 | Paraguay
|
| Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 5 |
| Argentina
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 5 |
 Chile
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 2 |
 Venezuela
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 12 | –11 | 0 |
| 15 February | Argentina
|
3–1 | Chile
|
| 17 February | Brazil
|
5–1 | Venezuela
|
| 19 February | Argentina
|
3–0 | Venezuela
|
| 22 February | Brazil
|
1–0 | Chile
|
| 26 February | Chile
|
4–0 | Venezuela
|
| Brazil
|
1–1 | Argentina
|
| Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 3 | +6 | 6 |
| Brazil
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 3 |
| Argentina
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 10 | –6 | 2 |
| Bolivia
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | –3 | 1 |
| 1 March | Argentina
|
3–1 | Bolivia
|
| Uruguay
|
2–1 | Brazil
| |
| 5 March | Brazil
|
4–0 | Argentina
|
| Uruguay
|
2–1 | Bolivia
| |
| 8 March | Brazil
|
1–1 | Bolivia
|
| Uruguay
|
5–1 | Argentina
|
| 1981 South American Youth Championship |
|---|
 Uruguay Seventh title |
The two best performing teams qualified directly for the 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Argentina also qualified, after winning an intercontinental play-off against New Zealand and Israel.[1] Matches were played in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| Teams | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina
|
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | +7 | 8 |
 New Zealand
|
4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 | –3 | 3 |
 Israel
|
4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | –4 | 1 |
| 18 March | New Zealand
|
0–0 | Israel
|
| 20 March | Argentina
|
1–0 | Israel
|
| 22 March | Argentina
|
1–0 | New Zealand
|
| 25 March | Israel
|
1–2 | New Zealand
|
| 27 March | Argentina
|
3–0 | New Zealand
|
| 29 March | Argentina
|
2–0 | Israel
|
