Before October’s global window in CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifying, Sports Mole takes a seek on the story so far in South America.
After eight rounds of fits in CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifying, the streak to achieve the finals being held across the USA, Mexico and Canada is getting seriously aggressive.
Some of South America’s most attention-grabbing have shown their class with many of the identical outdated suspects performing correctly, but the large story so far is the struggles of Brazil, for whom a predominant ever unsuccessful qualifying campaign is quiet a real chance.
The two in model whipping boys in Bolivia and Venezuela are also proving extra aggressive than in unique campaigns, with the latter aiming to achieve the finals for the first time.
Here, Sports Mole rounds up the unique affirm of play in South America, taking a seek on the standings, some of essentially the most essential results so far, and a shield up for October’s most well-known fits.
CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying standings
1. Argentina – 18pts (P8 W6 D0 L2 GD+8)
2. Colombia – 16pts (P8 W4 D4 L0 GD+4)
3. Uruguay – 15pts (P8 W4 D3 L1 GD+8)
4. Ecuador – 11pts (P8 W4 D2 L2 GD+2)
5. Brazil – 10pts (P8 W3 D1 L4 GD+1)
6. Venezuela – 10pts (P8 W2 D4 L2 GD-1)
7. Paraguay – 9pts (P8 W2 D3 L3 GD-1)
8. Bolivia – 9pts (P8 W3 D0 L5 GD-5)
9. Chile – 5pts (P8 W1 D2 L5 GD-8)
10. Peru – 3pts (P8 W0 D3 L5 GD-8)
UPCOMING FIXTURES
(all kickoffs in UK time)
Bolivia vs. Colombia (10 October, 9pm | El Alto)
Venezuela vs. Argentina (10 October, 10pm | Maturin)
Ecuador vs. Paraguay (10 October, 10pm | Quito)
Chile vs. Brazil (11 October, 1am | Santiago)
Peru vs. Uruguay (12 October, 2:30am | Lima)
Colombia vs. Chile (15 October, 9:30pm | Barranquilla)
Paraguay vs. Venezuela (16 October, 12am | Asuncion)
Uruguay vs. Ecuador (16 October, 12:30am | Montevideo)
Argentina vs. Bolivia (16 October, 1am | Buenos Aires)
Brazil vs. Peru (16 October, 1:45am | Brasilia)
The story of CONMEBOL qualifying so far
© Imago
There might be solely one region to open and that’s with Brazil, who continue to wrestle after a pair of sophisticated years for the area’s most famed national crew.
The five-time World Cup winners face the nice prospect of lacking out on the finals for the first time after a truly disappointing open, so the Selecao will be satisfied the expansion to a forty eight-crew finals plan two extra automatic qualification spots have been granted to CONMEBOL.
Brazil are for the time being within the pause six, ample to seek them growth, but they are appropriate one point above Bolivia in eighth, which would per chance per chance peek them miss out, even on the playoffs.
With two sort fixtures in opposition to Chile and Peru, the backside two within the standings, this month, Brazil will both be breathing extra without quandary or Dorival Junior will be out of a job by the discontinue of the week.
There modified into runt to apprehension about within the Argentina camp, who managed to fit in one more Copa America ranking at some point of this qualifying campaign, which sees them prime of the standings with six wins from eight.
Lionel Scaloni‘s males did lose their outdated qualifier to Colombia remaining month though, and also suffered defeat to Uruguay gradual remaining year, and it’s those two countries that join them within the pause three, every taking a seek region to qualify after proper begins of their very own.
© Imago
Colombia’s ranking over the Albiceleste strengthens their probabilities of reaching the finals after lacking out on Qatar 2022, as Nestor Lorenzo‘s in-form aspect are truly seven aspects optimistic right thru the auto-qualifying spots, and 30 games unbeaten within 90 minutes.
There might be powerful pleasure round Marcelo Bielsa‘s Uruguay crew, and even though they recorded two uncharacteristic 0-0 attracts remaining month, they are quiet in a proper region appropriate one point on the abet of Colombia.
Arguably the excellent overachievers so far are Ecuador, who’ve place a three-point deduction on the abet of them and acquired on with the job, for the time being sitting above Brazil, having technically gained 14 aspects from a which you could imagine 24, without the punishment utilized.
Ecuador seem factual worth to growth, but it’s astonishingly tight appropriate below them, with solely two aspects isolating five countries at the moment.
At their 15th strive, can also this be the time the build Venezuela indirectly attain the finals for the first time?
© Imago
Historically CONMEBOL’s weakest nation, Venezuela for the time being own the leisure automatic qualifying region despite a 4-0 defeat in Bolivia’s unique excessive-altitude area remaining month, and it gets more difficult with clashes in opposition to Argentina and away to Paraguay this month.
Paraguay and Bolivia would be the countries taking a seek to make essentially the most of Venezuela’s very tricky upcoming outing, with the 2 countries hoping to total lengthy waits for a return to the large stage.
This might increasingly be 16 years since Paraguay grew to become a fair’s authorized on the 2010 World Cup, while Bolivia’s remaining look got here in 1994 – satirically the leisure time it modified into held within the USA.
The two groups are taking a truly a host of come on the subject, as solely Argentina and Colombia have scored bigger than Bolivia, while no person has scored fewer than Paraguay, but they every have 9 aspects, and sit appropriate exterior the auto-qualifying areas.
Slipping out of rivals is Chile, who’ve had an absolutely torrid time since their abet-to-abet Copa America wins in 2015 and 2016.
La Roja have now now not reached the World Cup since 2014, exited the Copa America on the workforce stage over the summer, and have now lost three qualifiers in a row, sitting on appropriate five aspects with the crew in total crisis after handing Bolivia their first away qualifying ranking in over three decades remaining month.
Chile’s solely victory on this campaign got here in opposition to Peru, who seek a shadow of the aspect that reached the 2018 finals in Russia, and solely did now not attain Qatar after shedding on penalties in an intercontinental playoff with Australia.
With appropriate three aspects and two targets scored in eight qualifiers, Peru seek destined to fabricate backside, significantly with Uruguay and a day out to Brazil on the calendar this month.
Key CONMEBOL qualifying results so far
© Imago
Brazil 1-1 Venezuela (October 2023, Matchday 3)
Presumably essentially the most damning indictment of Brazil’s unique precarious quandary modified into a condo blueprint with Venezuela, a crew they had solely did now not beat once of their history, while it also kick-started a factual waddle of form for Venezuela, who can also fair seek abet on the discontinue of the campaign on the significance of that time if they are in a region to achieve the finals for the first time.
Argentina 0-2 Uruguay (November 2023, Matchday 5)
The first indication that Bielsa’s aspect in most cases is an powerful possibility on the finals in 2026 can also fair quiet they qualify as expected, beating the World Champions on their home patch, shifting them optimistic within the automated qualifying positions.
Brazil 0-1 Argentina (November 2023, Matchday 6)
Brazil’s campaign went from detestable to worse as they suffered their first ever home World Cup qualifying defeat, and it modified into in opposition to their arch rivals, as Argentina recovered from that move-up in opposition to Uruguay to shield a shield of prime region within the standings.
Bolivia 4-0 Venezuela (September 2024, Matchday 7)
This modified into Bolivia’s first match at their unique home ground in El Alto, at an very superb higher altitude than their outdated unhealthy venue in La Paz, and the discontinue result in opposition to an in-form Venezuela aspect suggests any visiting crew can also have well-known complications in opposition to Oscar Villegas‘s aspect, who are chasing a predominant qualification in 32 years.
Colombia 2-1 Argentina (September 2024, Matchday 8)
Argentina are quiet expected to qualify with a canter, but this result modified into mammoth for Colombia, who moved into 2d region, seven aspects optimistic within the auto-qualifying spots, and avenged their Copa America remaining loss from the summer.
Key CONMEBOL qualifying games in October
© Imago
Chile vs. Brazil (11 October, 1am)
In what would appear to many as a powerful attain upon, Chile are nowhere conclude to the drive they had been a pair of years within the past, and did the unthinkable by shedding at home to Bolivia remaining month, so Brazil want to make certain they take three aspects here and shield away from any extra embarrassment.
Venezuela vs. Argentina (10 October, 10pm)
Argentina are in a truly proper region, so this can also fair also be a powerful bigger sport for Venezuela who can now truly open believing this could well be the time to total their stay up for a World Cup finals look, and there would be no better crew to invent a press originate in opposition to than the reigning world champions.
Uruguay vs. Ecuador (16 October, 12:30am)
Ecuador have sprung a pair of surprises on this share and would solely be one point on the abet of Uruguay in third without their aspects deduction, so after two 0-0 attracts in September, La Celeste have to guarantee they glean abet on the winning plod soon, with those below them at possibility of open making up ground.
Brazil vs. Peru (16 October, 1:45am)
Simply place, a have to-ranking sport for Brazil and Dorival Junior in opposition to the continent’s whipping boys so far, as the share will seek significantly better for the Selecao if they discontinue October’s window sitting on 16 aspects.
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