Next Tuesday (9) will be the final round of the South American Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
And there will be an attraction: the fight for the playoff spot.
The team that finishes in seventh place will still have a chance to go to the 2026 World Cup.
Venezuela could have secured this condition on Thursday (4), but ended up defeated by Argentina. And it remains threatened by Bolivia.
It is the only South American team that has never played in a World Cup.
It still depends on itself. And it will host the already qualified Colombia.
Bolivia, on the other hand, will face Brazil, betting on the “El Alto factor” with its 4,150 m.
They will need to win and hope for a defeat or draw from the Vinotinto team.
See below how the table stands and, afterwards, the details of the playoffs.
Three MORE teams secure their spot in the 2026 World Cup
UPDATED Standings 📊
How do the playoffs work?
Only New Caledonia, representing Oceania, is already guaranteed.
There are still five spots remaining: two for North/Central America, one from Africa, one from Asia, and another for South America.
The two teams with the best FIFA Ranking go directly to the final phase.
The others will play two semifinals after matches determined by a draw.
The qualified teams will face the already guaranteed teams in two finals.
Determining the last teams guaranteed in the World Cup.
The six games will be played in the FIFA Date window from March 23 to 31 next year.
The tendency is for them to take place in one of the countries hosting the Cup.
Final round 📅
8:00 PM – Ecuador 🆚 Argentina – Monumental de Guayaquil
8:30 PM – Peru 🆚 Paraguay – National Stadium of Lima
8:30 PM – Venezuela 🆚 Colombia – Monumental de Maturín
8:30 PM – Bolivia 🆚 Brazil – Municipal of El Alto
8:30 PM – Chile 🆚 Uruguay – National Stadium of Santiago
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
📸 JUAN BARRETO – AFP or licensors
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