the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup officially came to an end, with six direct berths and one intercontinental playoff spot confirmed. In the final round, Ecuador beat Argentina 1-0, Bolivia edged Brazil 1-0, Venezuela fell 3-6 to Colombia, Chile drew 0-0 with Uruguay, and Peru lost 0-1 to Paraguay. In the end, Argentina finished top of the group, Brazil secured fifth place, Bolivia snatched the playoff ticket at the last moment, while Venezuela crashed out, missing the chance to break their long-standing record of never qualifying for a World Cup.
On the players’ side, Argentina forward Lionel Messi topped the scoring charts with 8 goals, while Colombia midfielder James Rodríguez finished as the assists leader.
Final South American Qualifiers Outcome:
Directly qualified for 2026 World Cup: Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay
Intercontinental playoff spot: Bolivia
Eliminated (no 2026 World Cup): Venezuela, Peru, Chile
