"Needing a win in the final match of CONMEBOL qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup against the legendary Brazil, ranked 70 places above them in the FIFA world rankings, in September, Bolivia pulled off the impossible with a 1-0 victory at Estadio Municipal El Alto. It ensured a seventh-place finish in South American qualifying, booking a place in FIFA's inter-continental play-off semifinal on March 26 in Monterrey, Mexico, against Suriname."
"The 76th-ranked team in the world is an afterthought among soccer nations in the region. It has qualified for the World Cup just three times out of 22 editions, and one of those was as an invitee to the first-ever competition in 1930. La Verde has not qualified for a World Cup since 1994 in the United States."
"Bolivia has never won any of its six all-time World Cup matches, and it's scored just one goal, in a 3-1 loss to Spain in its final group-stage game in 1994. It has been outscored 20-1. But hope is bountiful from the passionate nation, with most of its roster playing in Bolivia or South America."
Bolivia achieved an unlikely victory over Brazil in their final CONMEBOL qualifying match for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, finishing seventh and earning a playoff semifinal berth. The 76th-ranked team faces Suriname, ranked 123rd, in Monterrey on March 26. Bolivia has qualified for the World Cup only three times in 22 editions, with no appearances since 1994. The team has never won a World Cup match and has been outscored 20-1 across six matches. Despite this history, Bolivia shows promise with an improving roster featuring players in international leagues, including defenders at CF Montreal and Shakhtar Donetsk, captain Luis Haquin in Saudi Arabia, and midfielder Miguelito at Santos in Brazil.
#2026-fifa-world-cup-qualifying #bolivia-football #conmebol-playoffs #international-soccer #world-cup-history
Read at www.amny.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]