Ríos assists Sporting star in Venezuela v Colombia, Benfica ace shines | OneFootball

Colombia defeated Venezuela 6-3 in a qualifying match for the 2026 World Cup. Richard Ríos, Benfica’s midfielder, started and played the full match, in a game marked by a four-goal performance from Luis Suárez, Sporting’s forward.

The match actually began in favor of the home team, with Telasco Segovia scoring in the 3rd minute. However, Yerry Mina equalized in the 10th minute. The tie wouldn’t last long, as Josef Martínez put Venezuela ahead again in the 12th minute. After the first quarter of an hour, Colombia took control and Suárez scored his first goal in the 42nd minute.

The second half started with the visitors applying a lot of pressure, and in just over 20 minutes, Luis Suárez reached four goals. The Sporting forward scored in the 50th, 59th, and 67th minutes, with the last goal assisted by Richard Ríos, Benfica’s midfielder.

Salomón Rondón pulled one back to make it 5-3 in the 76th minute, but Jhon Córdoba soon found the back of the net defended by Rafael Romo. With a pass from Juan Quintero, the forward set the final score at 6-3 in favor of Colombia.

Richard Ríos and company are now qualified for the next World Cup – and already know some possible opponents. The Benfica player’s national team finished the qualifying phase in third place in the group, with 28 points. Argentina (38), Ecuador (29), Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay (28) also qualified, while Bolivia (20) will play the playoff. Venezuela (18), Peru (12), and Chile (11) are out of the competition.

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