Venezuela National Team Parts Ways with Coach Fernando Batista After World Cup Qualifying Failure
Maturín, Venezuela – Fernando Batista has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the Venezuela national football team following the Vinotinto‘s failure to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup repechage. The decision,announced by the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF),comes after a decisive 6-3 loss to Colombia in the final South American qualifier on Tuesday.
Batista, known as “Bocha,” had been in charge of the national team with the aim of reaching the World Cup, but Venezuela finished seventh in the qualifying standings, falling short of the playoff berth claimed by Bolivia who defeated Brazil 1-0. The FVF cited “established sports results” as the reason for the change,acknowledging Batista’s effort while stating a “change of course” is necessary to continue the national team’s development. The entire coaching staff has also been dismissed.
Following the defeat, Batista expressed regret at not achieving qualification. “We tried. We were behind a dream. It couldn’t be,” he stated in a post-match press conference, declining to take questions from reporters.He also offered an apology to the Venezuelan people, saying, “Simply apologize to the Venezuelan people for the dream we had with these players to be able to classify the repechage.Very arduous moment, very hard time personally, in football.”
The FVF has affirmed its commitment to Venezuelan football and is now focused on selecting a new coaching staff to lead the team through the next World Cup cycle.