Last week, La Roja went all out in their last match of the year in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Coached by Ricardo Gareca, the Chilean team hosted the Venezuelan national team at the national stadium, in the hope of securing his first victory in the Gareca era and moving out of last place in the standings.
The match started in a complicated manner, with the visitors taking the lead from the first minutes. However, the Chilean team did not give up and equalized thanks to Eduardo Vargas. Soon after, Venezuela regained the lead, but Gabriel Suazo put Chile back in the game. Eventually, a raging Lucas Cepeda scored twice, sealing a 4-2 victory for the Chileans.
Read more:
Venezuela’s World Cup Dreams Dwindle: What’s Next?
With this result, La Roja signed its first official victory in the Gareca era and, icing on the cake, it left the last position in the table following Peru’s defeat against Argentina. Now fans will have to wait until next March, when the Chilean national team faces Paraguay away and Ecuador at home.
After a long time, the Chilean team celebrates again after their impressive 4-2 victory against Venezuela, marking not only their first official victory under Ricardo Gareca but also an exit from the relegation zone, now closing in on a place in the playoffs.
Despite La Roja’s good result, which attracted the attention of the international press due to the circumstances surrounding both teams, the reaction from the other side of the Andes was not one of admiration, but rather of mockery. Argentine newspaper Olé compared Chile’s year to that of San Marino, the currently lowest-ranked team in the world, saying San Marino finished 2024 with more official victories than Chile.
Read more:
Video: Vidal’s reaction to Gareca after being substituted in Chile’s victory
Belgium
