Bolivia reach play-offs as World Cup qualifiers end, final table here | OneFootball

The South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup concluded this Tuesday, with all the qualified teams confirmed and the playoffs set. Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay had already secured their spots for the World Cup, while Bolivia secured the seventh position and the chance to compete in the playoff tournament, eliminating Venezuela.

Brazil ended its participation with a 1-0 defeat to Bolivia in El Alto, at over 4,000 meters altitude. Miguelito's penalty goal in the 49th minute of the first half marked the first defeat of the Brazilian team under Carlo Ancelotti's command. Thus, the Bolivians secured the spot that grants access to the playoffs.

Argentina also faced a setback in the round, losing to Ecuador 1-0, with a penalty goal by Enner Valencia. Otamendi was sent off, while Moisés Caicedo received a red card for Ecuador in the second half. Despite the defeat, the Albiceleste finished at the top of the competition with 38 points. Ecuador finished second with 28 points.

Colombia thrashed Venezuela 6-3, with four goals from Luis Suárez, securing the third position, while Venezuela finished eighth, out of the playoffs. Uruguay, drawing 0-0 with Chile, confirmed the fourth position and direct qualification, and Paraguay defeated Peru 1-0, ending their campaign in sixth position. Chile and Peru ended without spots, occupying the last and ninth positions, respectively.

How does the playoff work?

The playoff is the last chance for teams that did not achieve direct qualification. For the 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 teams, the South American playoff will see Bolivia competing for one of the two available spots in a mini-tournament.

Six teams will compete in the playoff, divided into two phases: four teams face off in matches determined by a draw, while the two best-ranked by FIFA enter the final phase. The winners secure qualification for the World Cup.

The playoff tournament will take place in March 2026, in at least one of the host countries of the World Cup, also serving as preparation for the tournament. South America will have six direct spots and one spot via playoff, while other continents, such as Asia, Africa, and Oceania, will have one team each via playoff, and Europe will maintain its 16 direct spots, without its own playoff.

South American Qualifiers Standings

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.