The road to the 2026 World Cup in Mexico, the United States, and Canada just got a whole lot clearer for three South American teams. Colombia, Uruguay, and Paraguay all punched their tickets to the big tournament during the second-to-last round of qualification matches. It was a night of high stakes and dramatic finishes across the continent.
Colombia will now feature in its seventh World Cup. They secured their spot on Thursday night with a solid 3-0 home victory against Bolivia. Goals came from James RodrÃguez, Jhon Córdoba, and Juan Fernando Quintero, ensuring a celebratory atmosphere.
The team, managed by Argentine coach Néstor Lorenzo, broke the deadlock after 31 minutes. Captain James RodrÃguez, a former FC Porto player, slotted home following a clever assist from Santiago Arias, who once played for Sporting. Later, at the 74-minute mark, Quintero, another ex-Porto star, set up Córdoba for the second goal. Quintero then capped off the night himself nine minutes later, making it 3-0 with an assist from Luis DÃaz, also a former FC Porto talent. Colombia’s best World Cup performance was reaching the quarter-finals in Brazil in 2014.
Bolivia, currently in eighth place in the South American qualifiers, faces an uphill battle. They need a home win against Brazil on Tuesday. On top of that, they’ll need Venezuela to lose or draw against Colombia to even have a shot at the playoff tournament.
At the same time as Colombia’s win, Uruguay delivered a dominant performance, beating Peru 3-0 at home. Rodrigo Aguirre, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, and Federico Viñas were the goal scorers for the Uruguayans.
Uruguay started strong, controlling the game from the whistle. Guillermo Varela sent a high ball into the box, and Rodrigo Aguirre headed it past Peruvian goalkeeper Pedro Gallese after just 14 minutes. The second goal arrived at the 58-minute mark. Giorgian de Arrascaeta fired a precise shot from inside the area, leaving Gallese no chance to react. Federico Viñas took advantage of a shaky Peruvian defense in Montevideo, scoring the third goal in the 80th minute.
This victory guarantees Uruguay, led by Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, their 12th World Cup appearance. Peru, clinging to faint playoff hopes, saw their chances disappear with the loss.
Paraguay will also make its return to the World Cup stage. This will be their first appearance since 2010. They booked their place after a goalless draw against Ecuador.
Despite the 0-0 scoreline, it was an exciting match that secured 25 points for coach Gustavo Alfaro’s squad. This gave them an undeniable seven-point lead over Venezuela, who sit in sixth place. That sixth spot is the last direct qualification berth for South American nations. Ecuador had already secured their spot in next year’s tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
