2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

The South American section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be held in Canada, Mexico, and the United States for national teams who are members of CONMEBOL. A total of 6 direct slots in the final tournament and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot were available for CONMEBOL teams.

Source: Wikipedia

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2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

CONMEBOL was the first confederation to begin its qualification process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Paraguay–Peru being the first match of the global qualification process.

Format

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

On 22 August 2022, CONMEBOL sent a request to FIFA asking to keep the current qualification format that had been used since the 1998 World Cup qualification in South America. This was confirmed, with the first games of the qualifiers tentatively to be played in March or June 2023.

On 27 February 2023, CONMEBOL president Alejandro Domínguez announced that the qualifiers would start in September 2023, which was ratified by the CONMEBOL Council in the run-up to the 73rd FIFA Congress held on 16 March in Kigali, Rwanda.

The qualification structure remained the same as in previous editions (despite the increase of slots available to CONMEBOL teams), wherein each team played each other team twice in a home-and-away round-robin format.

Prior to the commencement of the qualification competition, Ecuador were deducted 3 points for the use of a document containing false information for Byron Castillo in the previous World Cup qualification cycle.

Schedule

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

The qualifying matches were held on a total of 18 matchdays on dates that fall within the FIFA International Match Calendar. The match schedule was same that was used in the previous edition of the competition. Six matchdays were played in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025.

<table><thead><tr><th>Matchday</th><th>Date</th><th>Ref.</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Matchday 1</td><td>7–8 September 2023</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 2</td><td>12 September 2023</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 3</td><td>12 October 2023</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 4</td><td>17 October 2023</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 5</td><td>16 November 2023</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 6</td><td>21 November 2023</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday</td><td>Date</td><td>Ref.</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 7</td><td>5–6 September 2024</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 8</td><td>10 September 2024</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 9</td><td>10–11 October 2024</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 10</td><td>15 October 2024</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 11</td><td>14–15 November 2024</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 12</td><td>19 November 2024</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday</td><td>Date</td><td>Ref.</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 13</td><td>20–21 March 2025</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 14</td><td>25 March 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 15</td><td>5–6 June 2025</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 16</td><td>10 June 2025</td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 17</td><td>4 September 2025</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Matchday 18</td><td>9 September 2025</td></tr></tbody></table>

Entrants

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

All 10 national teams from CONMEBOL entered qualification.

<table><thead><tr><th>Team</th><th>FIFA ranking as of July 2023</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> Argentina</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td> Brazil</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td> Uruguay</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td> Colombia</td><td>17</td></tr><tr><td> Peru</td><td>21</td></tr><tr><td> Chile</td><td>32</td></tr><tr><td> Ecuador</td><td>40</td></tr><tr><td> Paraguay</td><td>49</td></tr><tr><td> Venezuela</td><td>57</td></tr><tr><td> Bolivia</td><td>83</td></tr></tbody></table>

Standings

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

<table><thead><tr><th>Pos</th><th>Team</th><th>Pld</th><th>W</th><th>D</th><th>L</th><th>GF</th><th>GA</th><th>GD</th><th>Pts</th><th>Qualification</th><th></th><th></th><th></th><th></th><th></th><th></th><th></th><th></th><th></th><th></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>1</td><td> Argentina</td><td>18</td><td>12</td><td>2</td><td>4</td><td>31</td><td>10</td><td>+21</td><td>38</td><td>2026 FIFA World Cup</td><td></td><td>—</td><td>1–0</td><td>1–1</td><td>0–2</td><td>4–1</td><td>1–0</td><td>6–0</td><td>3–0</td><td>1–0</td><td>3–0</td></tr><tr><td>2</td><td> Ecuador</td><td>18</td><td>8</td><td>8</td><td>2</td><td>14</td><td>5</td><td>+9</td><td>29</td><td></td><td>1–0</td><td>—</td><td>0–0</td><td>2–1</td><td>0–0</td><td>0–0</td><td>4–0</td><td>2–1</td><td>1–0</td><td>1–0</td></tr><tr><td>3</td><td> Colombia</td><td>18</td><td>7</td><td>7</td><td>4</td><td>28</td><td>18</td><td>+10</td><td>28</td><td></td><td>2–1</td><td>0–1</td><td>—</td><td>2–2</td><td>2–1</td><td>2–2</td><td>3–0</td><td>1–0</td><td>0–0</td><td>4–0</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td> Uruguay</td><td>18</td><td>7</td><td>7</td><td>4</td><td>22</td><td>12</td><td>+10</td><td>28</td><td></td><td>0–1</td><td>0–0</td><td>3–2</td><td>—</td><td>2–0</td><td>0–0</td><td>3–0</td><td>2–0</td><td>3–0</td><td>3–1</td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td> Brazil</td><td>18</td><td>8</td><td>4</td><td>6</td><td>24</td><td>17</td><td>+7</td><td>28</td><td></td><td>0–1</td><td>1–0</td><td>2–1</td><td>1–1</td><td>—</td><td>1–0</td><td>5–1</td><td>1–1</td><td>4–0</td><td>3–0</td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td> Paraguay</td><td>18</td><td>7</td><td>7</td><td>4</td><td>14</td><td>10</td><td>+4</td><td>28</td><td></td><td>2–1</td><td>0–0</td><td>0–1</td><td>2–0</td><td>1–0</td><td>—</td><td>1–0</td><td>2–1</td><td>0–0</td><td>1–0</td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td> Bolivia</td><td>18</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>10</td><td>17</td><td>35</td><td>−18</td><td>20</td><td>Inter-confederation play-offs</td><td></td><td>0–3</td><td>1–2</td><td>1–0</td><td>0–0</td><td>1–0</td><td>2–2</td><td>—</td><td>4–0</td><td>2–0</td><td>2–0</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td> Venezuela</td><td>18</td><td>4</td><td>6</td><td>8</td><td>18</td><td>28</td><td>−10</td><td>18</td><td></td><td></td><td>1–1</td><td>0–0</td><td>3–6</td><td>0–0</td><td>1–1</td><td>1–0</td><td>2–0</td><td>—</td><td>1–0</td><td>3–0</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td> Peru</td><td>18</td><td>2</td><td>6</td><td>10</td><td>6</td><td>21</td><td>−15</td><td>12</td><td></td><td>0–2</td><td>0–0</td><td>1–1</td><td>1–0</td><td>0–1</td><td>0–1</td><td>3–1</td><td>1–1</td><td>—</td><td>0–0</td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td> Chile</td><td>18</td><td>2</td><td>5</td><td>11</td><td>9</td><td>27</td><td>−18</td><td>11</td><td></td><td>0–1</td><td>0–0</td><td>0–0</td><td>0–0</td><td>1–2</td><td>0–0</td><td>1–2</td><td>4–2</td><td>2–0</td><td>—</td></tr></tbody></table>

Inter-confederation play-offs

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

The seventh-place team, Bolivia, joined DR Congo (from CAF), Iraq (from AFC), Jamaica and Suriname (both from CONCACAF), and New Caledonia (from OFC) in the inter-confederation play-offs.

The teams were ranked according to the November 2025 FIFA Men's World Ranking, with the four lowest-ranked teams playing in two single-elimination matches. The winners met the two highest-ranked teams in another set of single-elimination matches, with the winners of these matches qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

<table><thead><tr><th></th><th>Semi-final</th><th></th><th>Final</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td></td><td>31 March 2026 – Guadalupe</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> Iraq</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>26 March 2026 – Guadalupe</td></tr><tr><td></td><td></td><td></td><td> Bolivia</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> Bolivia</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> Suriname</td><td>1</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

Qualified teams

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

Qualified for the World Cup Can qualify Failed to qualify Not a CONMEBOL member

The following teams from CONMEBOL qualified for the final tournament.

<table><thead><tr><th>Team</th><th>Qualified as</th><th>Qualified on</th><th>Previous appearances in FIFA World Cup</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td> Argentina</td><td>Winners</td><td>25 March 2025</td><td>18 (1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)</td></tr><tr><td> Ecuador</td><td>Runners-up</td><td>10 June 2025</td><td>4 (2002, 2006, 2014, 2022)</td></tr><tr><td> Colombia</td><td>Third place</td><td>4 September 2025</td><td>6 (1962, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2014, 2018)</td></tr><tr><td> Uruguay</td><td>Fourth place</td><td>14 (1930, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)</td></tr><tr><td> Brazil</td><td>Fifth place</td><td>10 June 2025</td><td>22 (1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)</td></tr><tr><td> Paraguay</td><td>Sixth place</td><td>4 September 2025</td><td>8 (1930, 1950, 1958, 1986, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010)</td></tr></tbody></table>

Goalscorers

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

There were 183 goals scored in 90 matches, for an average of 2.03 goals per match.

Discipline

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

A player was automatically suspended for the next match for the following infractions:

• Receiving a red card (red card suspensions may be extended for serious infractions) • Receiving two yellow cards in two different matches (yellow card suspensions are carried forward to further qualification rounds, but not the finals or any other future international matches)

The following suspensions were served during qualification: