Bolivia Stuns Brazil, Secures FIFA World Cup 2026 Playoff Spot
La paz, bolivia – Bolivia secured a coveted spot in the intercontinental playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a stunning 1-0 victory over Brazil on Tuesday night. Miguel Terceros converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time to deliver the historic win in La Paz, dropping Brazil to fifth in the South American qualifying standings.
Bolivia will be joined in the playoffs by two teams from CONCACAF, and also one each from the African, Asian and Oceania confederations, vying for two remaining places at the tournament hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States.The playoffs are scheduled to take place in Monterrey and Guadalajara in March.
Elsewhere in South American qualifying, a Messi-less Argentina suffered a 1-0 defeat by Ecuador in Guayaquil. Nicolas Otamendi was sent off for Argentina in the 31st minute, and Enner Valencia scored a penalty in first-half stoppage time for Ecuador. Both teams finished with 10 players after Moises Caicedo’s dismissal in the 50th minute. Despite the loss, Argentina retained top spot with 39 points, nine ahead of Ecuador.
Colombia clinched third place with a 6-3 win over Venezuela, fueled by a four-goal performance from Luis Suarez.Uruguay finished fourth after a 0-0 draw with Chile, while Paraguay defeated Peru 1-0 with a goal from Matias Galarza, finishing in sixth place.
