Three nations — Uruguay, Colombia, and Paraguay — earn spots for the 2026 World Cup tournament.

Colombia, Uruguay, and Paraguay Secure 2026 World Cup Berths

In a thrilling week of South American World Cup qualifiers, Colombia, Uruguay, and Paraguay have secured their spots for the 2026 tournament.

On Thursday, Colombia had a commanding 3-0 victory over Bolivia, with goals from John Cordoba and Juan Fernando Quintero in the second half, and James Rodriguez scoring in the 31st minute. Rodriguez is aiming to play in his third World Cup, following Colombia's appearances in 2014 and 2018.

Meanwhile, Uruguay recorded a 3-0 win over Peru, a result which eliminates the latter from World Cup contention. Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa was pleased with his team's offensive play, commenting that there were many highlights in individual performances.

Paraguay, on the other hand, had a scoreless draw in the qualifiers, maintaining their position in the race for the 2026 World Cup.

Argentina also secured a win, defeating Venezuela 3-0, with Lionel Messi scoring two goals. Brazil also recorded a 3-0 victory over Chile, with an 18-year old Estêvão scoring his first goal with the Brazilian national team. Argentina, Brazil, and Ecuador have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup.

Colombia's debut in the World Cup was in Chile in 1962, and they have made three consecutive appearances between 1990 and 1998. This will be the Colombian team's seventh appearance in the World Cup, equalling the record for the most World Cup participations in the history of the Colombian national team, held by players who have participated in three World Cups, including the 1962 tournament where Colombia played 3 matches; however, no individual player's exact record number of participations is explicitly cited in the available search results.

Peru coach Oscar Ibanez admitted that the opponent outclassed them in their loss to Uruguay. Colombia's qualification for the 2026 World Cup marks a significant achievement for the team, and fans are eagerly anticipating their performance in the upcoming tournament.

Three nations — Uruguay, Colombia, and Paraguay — earn spots for the 2026 World Cup tournament.