South American Teams Secure Spots in 2026 World Cup
montevideo (AF) – Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador have all qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, following the 17th round of South American qualifiers.
Uruguay clinched their berth with a decisive 3-0 victory over Peru at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo,witnessed by a crowd of 60,000. Rodrigo Aguero opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a header from a corner kick, followed by a goal from Flamengo midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta in the 58th minute. Substitute Fabricio Díaz completed the scoring in the 80th minute.
Colombia also secured qualification with a 3-0 win against Bolivia.Paraguay qualified after drawing with Ecuador. Argentina and Brazil had already guaranteed their places in the tournament prior to this round.
Uruguay’s qualification allows veteran coach Marcelo Bielsa to lead a third national team to the World Cup. Bielsa previously managed Argentina in the 2002 tournament, reaching the group stage, and led Chile to the 2010 World Cup, where they reached the Round of 16 before losing to Brazil 3-0. Appointed as Uruguay’s coach in 2023, Bielsa initially faced criticism due to inconsistent qualifying results.
The South American qualifying system grants direct qualification to the top six teams in the ten-nation CONMEBOL confederation, with the seventh-place finisher entering an intercontinental playoff.Uruguay now sits third in the standings with 27 points, 11 points behind Argentina, who defeated Chile 3-0, and one point behind Brazil, who also beat Chile by the same scoreline. Colombia is fifth with 25 points, edging out Paraguay on goal difference after Paraguay’s tie with Ecuador. This will be Colombia’s ninth World Cup appearance. The Colombian victory saw minutes for veteran players James Rodríguez (34), Juan Córdoba (74), and Juan Fernando Quintero (83).
