Bolivia achieved a major upset in the South American qualifiers by defeating Brazil 1-0, securing a spot in the World Cup playoff round. On the same night, Argentina suffered a 1-0 loss to Ecuador in the final round of the 2026 qualifiers.
Bolivia’s Miguel Terceros scored from a penalty in the first-half stoppage time, earning his team a home victory against the five-time World Cup winners Brazil, whose team has now fallen to fifth place in the standings. The playoffs, set to take place in Monterrey and Guadalajara in March, will also include teams from Africa, Asia, and Oceania in the competition for the two remaining spots in the World Cup, which will be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
Despite Ecuador and Argentina having already secured their spots in the World Cup, intensity was still high in their match in Guayaquil. Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi received a red card in the 31st minute, and Ecuador’s Enner Valencia converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time to win the game 1-0. Ecuador moved to second place in the standings with the victory, while Argentina maintained its top position with 39 points, nine ahead of second-placed Ecuador.
Elsewhere, Colombia secured third place with a 6-3 win over Venezuela, with Luis Suarez scoring four goals. Uruguay finished fourth with a 0-0 draw against Chile, and Paraguay grabbed sixth place with a 1-0 win over Peru, courtesy of a goal by Matias Galarza.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2025/9/10/bolivia-upset-brazil-to-clinch-fifa-world-cup-2026-playoff-spot?traffic_source=rss
