Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay sealed their tickets to the 2026 World Cup on Thursday and will join Argentina, who won in Leo Messi’s last home game in a World Cup qualifier, Brazil and Ecuador in the tournament.
South America’s direct berths to the North American event for the United States, Mexico and Canada are already reserved, but the suspense will continue until the last matchday on September 9, when Venezuela, seventh with 18 points, will try to hold on to the playoffs and knock out Bolivia, which is eighth with 17 points.
The Vinotinto’s hopes of reaching the end of the qualifiers in better shape were cut short by an immense Messi, who, with a brace in the 3-0 win in Buenos Aires, moved to the top of the scoring charts with eight goals.
On the last date of the South American qualifiers, next Tuesday, Ecuador will host Argentina, Chile Uruguay, Bolivia Brazil, Venezuela Colombia and Peru will be at home against Paraguay.
3-0. Messi, Venezuela’s executioner
Lionel Messi, Argentina’s undisputed star, delivered for Argentina and made his legend even bigger with a brace that gave the Albiceleste a victory over a Venezuela side with no options.
In front of the 85,000 people who packed the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires to support Messi in his last home game in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Julian Alvarez played a gallant assist to the captain, who did not hesitate to finish with precision to score the winning goal in the 39th minute.
Argentina clinched the victory with Lautaro Martínez’s goal in the 75th minute and Messi’s second in the 80th minute, adding 38 points for the Albiceleste, which consolidates its position as undisputed leader.
The Venezuelan team had its best player in goalkeeper Rafael Romo, who kept the Albiceleste from scoring an even more convincing goal.
3-0. Brazil shows no mercy to Chile
Estevao, Lucas Paquetá and Bruno Guimaraes put Brazil on track for a 3-0 win at the Maracaná stadium that catapulted them to second place with 28 points and deepened the depression of Chile, who are at the bottom of the table with 10 points out of a possible 51.
La Roja managed to make things difficult for the Canarinha, who could only break the deadlock with a goal from Chelsea striker Estevao in the 38th minute.
Very little excitement in an act for an enthusiastic public that wants more from their team under Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, but the Verdeamarela left the rest of their powder for the final stretch of the second half.
In just five minutes apart, West Ham striker Lucas Paqueta (72nd minute) and New Castle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes (76th minute) sealed the win, although Brazil’s second place finish, although it may have made up for a poor start to the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, is far out of reach of their fiercest rivals Argentina, who lead the way with 38.
3-0. Uruguay buried Peru’s aspirations
In a match largely dominated by Marcelo Bielsa’s team, Uruguay defeated a very sluggish Peru 3-0, who were clinging to a miracle and with 27 points earned a ticket to the United States, Mexico and Canada.
After a few moments of total domination by the Celeste at the Centenario Stadium, Guillermo Varela launched a lofted ball into the area for Rodrigo Aguirre to head past the resistance of Peruvian goalkeeper Pedro Gallese in the 14th minute.
The second goal came in the 58th minute after Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s dry shot inside the area in which Gallese had little to do. In the 80th minute, Federico Viñas took advantage of the weakness of the Peruvian defense to make it 3-0 in the Uruguayan capital.
With this result, the team coached by Argentine Marcelo Bielsa guaranteed the right to attend its fifteenth World Cup.
3-0. Colombia shakes
With goals from captain James Rodríguez, Jhon Córdoba and Juan Fernando Quintero, Colombia defeated Bolivia 3-0 to seal its seventh World Cup berth in its history after a six-game winless streak.
The team coached by Argentine Néstor Lorenzo, who will be Venezuela’s judge on Tuesday in the last matchday, is fifth with 25 points, while La Verde is eighth with 17 points and must beat Brazil at home on Tuesday and hope that La Vinotinto loses or draws against Colombia to play in the play-offs.
The Colombian national team has played in six World Cups. It was in the editions of Chile ’62, Italy ’90, United States ’94, France ’98, Brazil 2014, where it had its best performance by reaching the quarterfinals, and Russia 2018.
0-0. Paraguay suffers against Ecuador
Argentina’s Gustavo Alfaro’s Paraguay drew 0-0 with Ecuador and thus formalized its return to a World Cup, an appointment it last fulfilled in 2010, when South Africa hosted the tournament.
A nervous goalless draw with the Tri, also coached by Argentine Sebastián Beccacece, guaranteed La Albirroja 25 points, sixth place, the last direct place for the Conmebol countries, and an unassailable 7-point lead over Venezuela.
Ecuador, which had already anticipated its presence in the 2026 World Cup, resisted with an orderly defense at the Defensores del Chaco stadium and with the away draw will go into Tuesday’s final matchday with 26 points.
The Paraguayans have qualified to play in the ninth cup in their history. They previously did so in the 1930, 1950, 1958, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 editions. La Tri has participated in four versions: 2002, 2006, 2014 and 2022.
A complicated playoff
For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA implemented a novelty with respect to playoff qualification, which until 2022 had a format involving intercontinental matches, such as the challenges between Conmebol and Oceania.
This time, the world soccer governing body established that a single-elimination mini-tournament will be played among six teams (one from Asia, one from Africa, one from South America (Venezuela or Bolivia), one from Oceania and one from CONCACAF), until the two places that are given by this method are defined, according to information from EFE.
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