| 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 → | |
TheSouth American Youth Championship 1981 was held inGuayaquil andQuito,Ecuador. It also served as qualification for the1981 FIFA World Youth Championship.
The following teams entered the tournament:
(Peru withdrew due to thePaquisha 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 the1981 FIFA World Youth Championship.
Argentina also qualified, after winning an intercontinental play-off against New Zealand and Israel.[1] Matches were played inBuenos 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 |