Uruguay, Colombia, and Paraguay have all secured their places in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, joining Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador as the South American nations to have qualified thus far.
Uruguay clinched their spot with a dominant 3-0 victory over Peru. Federico Vinas, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, and Rodrigo Aguirre scored for La Celeste in the win. This will be Uruguay's 15th World Cup appearance and their fifth in a row. According to Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa, "It's a good way to qualify. The team's offensive play was strong, there were also many highlights in individual performances". Bielsa was on the brink of guiding a third team to World Cup qualification. He previously coached Argentina and Chile in World Cups. A draw would have been sufficient to secure qualification, but Uruguay went for the win.
Colombia also secured their qualification with a 3-0 victory, triumphing over Bolivia at the Estadio Metropolitano de Barranquilla. James Rodriguez, Jhon Cordoba, and Juan Fernando Quintero were the goalscorers for the Colombian side. This victory marks Colombia's 7th participation in the FIFA World Cup. Colombia will try to avoid drama, as its final game of the qualifiers will be against Venezuela, in Maturin. Colombia's team that beat Bolivia was conformed by Camilo Vargas; Santiago Arias, Davinson Sanchez, John Lucumí, Johan Mojica; Jefferson Lerma, Richard Rios; Jhon Arias, James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz; John Córdoba. James Rodríguez opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a precise finish after a play on the right. Jhon Córdoba doubled the lead in the 74th minute following a quick attacking transition, and Juan Fernando Quintero sealed the victory in the 83rd minute, sparking celebrations at the Estadio Metropolitano. Colombia controlled possession and dictated the attacking rhythm, while Bolivia, in need of points, struggled to generate real danger. James Rodriguez's goal was his 14th in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, surpassing Radamel Falcao as Colombia's top scorer in this competition. After the win, Colombia stands fifth in the South American Qualifiers with 25 points, as they leaped over Paraguay who drew against Ecuador. The Colombians added three vital points, which allowed them to confirm fifth place in the standings for now and officially punch their ticket to the tournament. The Colombians return to the World Cup after missing the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Paraguay secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador. This point, combined with Venezuela's loss to Argentina, mathematically confirmed the Paraguayans' passage to the tournament. Los Guaranies heads to the World Cup for a ninth time. Its last trip, at South Africa 2010, was its most successful tournament ever.
With these results, Peru's hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup have been extinguished.
