World Cup 2026: Brazil and Ecuador qualify, Chile says goodbye

South America's six berths for the World Cup 2026 were on the verge of being decided on the penultimate qualifying matchday. After their matches on Tuesday, the national teams of Brazil and Ecuador joined Argentina on the list of qualifiers.

Ecuador, second in the table with 25 points, will attend its fifth world finals after a goalless draw with Peru, which finished second-to-last and can only dream of an international playoff. After the end of the match, the players and coaching staff of the Ecuadorian national team celebrated hugging each other on the pitch, while the Tricolor fans chanted "yes we did it... yes we did it!"

“We’ve achieved qualification; from here on, it’s about consolidating and building— we’re not content with just this, we want to keep growing,” said Ecuador’s head coach, Argentine Sebastián Beccacece, at the press conference. “I want to congratulate this group of players for their bravery and courage.”

Growth that his team will be able to contrast with the reigning world champions, whom they will receive in Guayaquil after facing Paraguay in Asuncion. Peru, meanwhile, will visit Uruguay in Montevideo and will close as hosts against Paraguay.

Brazil clinches qualification, Paraguay close in

Carlo Ancelotti was able to celebrate a double on his 66th birthday thanks to a goal by Vinícius Jr in the 44th minute as Brazil beat Paraguay by the minimum. The Canarinha thus reached 25 points, finishing in third place.

In addition to qualifying, Carletto's Albirroja ended the nine-game unbeaten run of Gustavo Alfaro's Albirroja, which only needed a draw in Sao Paulo to return to the World Cup after 16 years of absence. With one point less than Brazil and Ecuador, Paraguay is virtually qualified: it only needs a point against Ecuador or Peru to confirm its ticket.

On the verge of booking World Cup tickets

Like Paraguay, Uruguay and Colombia are on the verge of qualification.

The Celeste of Marcelo Bielsa, who started the qualifiers like a rocket but gradually faded, came back to life against Venezuela, who finished with 18 points in seventh place. A 2-0 victory at home starring an excellent Rodrigo Bentancur.

The attacker Rodrigo Aguirre, with a header in the 43rd minute, and Giorgian de Arrascaeta, in the 47th minute, sunk the Vinotinto's hopes of closing the penultimate double elimination round fighting for direct qualification.

Colombia, meanwhile, drew 1-1 with Argentina. Bielsa's team will be looking to formalize their qualification—they can do so even if they lose both matches—in September, when they play against an agonizing Peru and Chile.

Although they came close to taking the spoils on their visit to Buenos Aires, with star striker Luis Diaz scoring in the 24th minute, Argentine midfielder Thiago Almada took advantage of a slip-up to equalize in the 81st minute. "The point we got is not so bad for what is to come," Diaz said.

The draw, amid rumors of internal crisis, leaves them in sixth place with 22 points (+4 goal difference) and a bad streak of six consecutive games without a win. However, they will only need to win at home against Bolivia or away against Venezuela to return to soccer's top tournament after missing out on Qatar 2022.

First farewell

In addition to joy, the sixteenth matchday also had sadness, that of bottom-placed Chile (10 points), which became the first South American team to miss out on the World Cup.

The Reds was deprived, for the third consecutive time, of playing in the World Cup after losing 2-0 to Bolivia at 4,150 meters above sea level in El Alto.

The Southerners, who sacked head coach Ricardo Gareca after their elimination, were knocked out by goals from Miguelito Terceros in the 5th minute and Enzo Monteiro in the 90th.

With the victory, the Green (8th, with 17 points) keeps alive the illusion—via playoffs—of qualifying for their first World Cup since the United States 1994. They will play their last match when they visit Colombia and host Brazil.