FIFA World Cup 2026: Presenting the CONMEBOL Qualifiers in stats
What's the story
The CONMEBOL Qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup 2026 came to an end. Six teams gained direct qualification for the global event next year. Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay have made the cut. Meanwhile, Bolivia, who beat Brazil 1-0 in the final round at La Paz's Estadio Hernando Siles, have qualified for the playoffs. Here are the key stats from CONMEBOL Qualifiers and points table.
Milestone victory
Historic win for Bolivia earn them playoffs berth
Miguel Terceros scored the decisive goal for Bolivia, converting a penalty in first-half stoppage time. This victory over Brazil was a historic one. For the first time Bolivia overcame the five-time World Cup winners since 2019. The victory has also handed them a chance to qualify for their fourth World Cup, and first since 1994. Bolivia will join two CONCACAF teams and one each from Africa, Asia, and Oceania in the playoffs for two spots at next year's tournament.
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Toppers Argentina lose on final Matchday
In another crucial South American qualifying match, Ecuador beat reigning champions Argentina 1-0. Enner Valencia scored the winner from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time. Despite the loss, Argentina retained top spot in the standings.
Standings
A look at the top six teams
Argentina finished first with 38 points from 18 matches. They collected 12 wins, 2 draws and 4 defeats. Ecuador were nine points behind Argentina. They earned 29 points (W8 D8 L2). Colombia finished 3rd, collecting 28 points (W7 D7 L4). Uruguay finished 4th with 28 points on board (W7 D7 L4). They scored lesser goals than Colombia. Brazil finished 5th with 28 points as well (W8 D4 L6). Brazil's goal difference was inferior to Colombia and Uruguay. Paraguay (6th) also collected 28 points (W7 D7 L4).
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Bolivia pip Venezuela to finish 7th
A win on the final Matchday helped Bolivia finish 7th ahead of Venezuela. With 6 wins, 2 draws and 10 defeats, Bolivia collected 20 points. Meanwhile, Venezuela lost their last three matches to finish on 18 points (W4 D6 L8).
Team stats
Decoding the crunch team stats
Argentina scored the most goals (31) and had the best goal difference (+21). Colombia (28), Brazil (24) and Uruguay (22) were the next best scorers. On the other hand, Ecuador shipped in the fewest goals (5). Chile, who finished 10th, scored the 2nd-fewest goals (9) with 9th-placed Peru (6) being the worst scorers. Bolivia conceded the most goals in the CONMEBOL Qualifiers (35).
Do you know?
Messi ends up scoring most goals
Lionel Messi scored the most goals in the CONMEBOL Qualifiers (8). Colombia's Luis Diaz and Bolivia's Miguel Terceros scored 7 goals each. Colombia's James Rodriguez made the most number of assists (7).