The thrilling conclusion in Montevideo has made the South American World Cup qualifying table hotter than ever as teams compete for a spot in the 2026 tournament hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada . Marcelo Bielsa’s side secured a crucial victory against Colombia, allowing them to climb as challengers in the standings, while simultaneously helping the Argentine national team, who maintain their position at the top despite a defeat on Thursday in Asunción.
With Argentina’s loss, marking their first defeat since their surprising opener against Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, they remain in first place with 22 points. Their closest rivals were Colombia (19), who had the chance to level their points on Friday in Montevideo, but it was Uruguay (19) who emerged victorious, putting both teams tied for second.
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Uruguay helps Argentina with narrow victory over Colombia
Further down the table, Brazil (17) dominated their match against Venezuela but could only secure a draw at the Maturín Monumental Stadium. Vinotinto, on the other hand, has overtaken Bolivia in the standings, now finding itself in seventh place and looking for a possible play-off spot.
Meanwhile, the Bolivian national team suffered a painful 4-0 defeat in Guayaquil, leaving them at risk of missing the World Cup. Ecuador, however, added three vital points to their tally in their quest to return to the footballing scene.
This Friday marks the conclusion of Day 11 of the South American qualifiers with a Pacific classic featuring Peru (6) against Chile (5), the penultimate and last in the table. Both teams have managed to win just one of the 10 matches played so far and are keen to initiate a turnaround.
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