Four more South American teams secure their spots for the 2026 World Cup

On the morning of September 5th (Vietnam time), the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup proceeded with intense games that decided the destiny of the region’s teams.

Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, and Ecuador all simultaneously earned their places at the 2026 World Cup finals to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Thus, along with Brazil and Argentina, who had already qualified earlier, South America now has six confirmed representatives for the biggest football event on the planet.

At the packed Estadio Centenario with 60,000 fans, Uruguay delivered an explosive performance, defeating Peru 3-0 to officially secure early qualification. Coach Marcelo Bielsa’s squad only needed a draw to advance, but they chose a perfect way by winning convincingly.

In the 14th minute, Rodrigo Aguirre opened the scoring with a precise header, igniting the atmosphere in Montevideo. In the second half, Giorgian de Arrascaeta doubled the lead with a close-range finish before Federico Vinas sealed the 3-0 victory in the 80th minute.

With this result, Marcelo Bielsa became one of the few managers to lead three different national teams at the World Cup. Previously, he participated with Argentina in the 2002 World Cup and helped Chile reach the round of 16 in the 2010 World Cup.

At the same time, Colombia also secured their spot at the World Cup after a 3-0 victory over Bolivia. Former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich star James Rodriguez scored the opener in the 32nd minute, continuing to demonstrate his quality at 34 years old. In the 74th minute, Jhon Cordoba doubled the advantage before Juan Fernando Quintero finalized the 3-0 win.

This win officially booked Colombia’s ticket to the US, marking a strong comeback following their disappointing failure to qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup.

In the other match, Paraguay hosted Ecuador needing only a draw to qualify. After a tense 90 minutes, the two sides drew 0-0, meaning both Paraguay and Ecuador officially earned their places in the 2026 World Cup finals.

This will be Paraguay’s first appearance at the world’s biggest stage since 2010, while Ecuador continues to prove their consistency by qualifying for the World Cup for the fifth time in history.

So far, six South American teams have officially qualified for the 2026 World Cup: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Paraguay, and Ecuador. With the tournament expanding to 48 teams for the first time, CONMEBOL has six direct slots plus one intercontinental playoff spot.

Currently, the competition revolves around the single playoff berth. Bolivia and Venezuela will compete for this last chance, while Chile and Peru have been officially eliminated.