AND South American World Cup with prizes for almost everything doesn’t mean it’s a bed of roses. Still hanging on to the world title, Messi’s Argentina face a tough debut against Ecuador on Thursday, while Colombia are tested against excited Venezuela and there are no favorites between Paraguay and Peru.
Another high-voltage test is that of Uruguay and Chile in Marcelo Bielsa’s Sky debut on Friday, while a more relaxed Brazil host Bolivia in hot Belem for the first leg of their road to the 2026 North American World Cup.
South America has six direct spots for this matchup for the ten selected, and the seventh will play a playoff with a team from another continent. Two more tickets in the game than in previous World Cup qualifiers.
This is how El Canal del Fútbol engages and this is the price in Ecuador to watch South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup live.
Schedule of South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup
Fixtures for the 2026 South American Qualifiers for this Thursday, September 7
end of fun
La Albiceleste wants to focus on the new stage and put an end to the party. But between pushing 80,000 packed fans at the Monumental to thunder again with the “Muchachos” and a very demanding game against Ecuador, there may be a catch.
Lionel Messi’s team must not waste a minute in another edition of the celebration.
“It’s hard to escape the euphoria, but we’ll try not to get caught up in it. It’s a very important game, but it’s nice to see people happy. The game is not played by people, but by us who will oppose a good team”, said coach Lionel Scaloni on Wednesday, before the game.
La Albiceleste will put their world champion team on the field, led by the fiery Messi at Inter Miami and several of his pupils also in a state of grace.
‘La Pulga’ returns to its comfort zone of a good mood, which is an essential condition for the Argentine team to show its full potential.
But his opponent will be a tough nut to crack.
Ecuador earned a place alongside Uruguay in the group that follows regional powers Argentina and Brazil, the four South American teams that participated in Qatar-2022.
It has threatening players, such as striker Enner Valencia, a key player in Inter Brazil’s qualification for the semi-finals of the Libertadores, as well as midfielders Pervis Estupiñán (Brighton) and 21-year-old rising star Moisés Caicedo, Chelsea’s record signing in the Premier League.
However, the Ecuadorian team will have to face the shortfall of withdrawing three points in this qualifying round due to the incorrect inclusion of Byron Castillo in the Qatar 2022 clash.
Pekerman’s students
This is the moment. Venezuela can settle a historic debt: cease to be the only South American team that has never participated in the World Cup.
The new qualification scheme and a balanced team between the experience of Tomás Rincón and Salomón Rondón and new figures like Josef Martínez, Messi’s teammate at Inter Miami, open the door to the Vinotint illusion.
His coach, the Argentine Fernando bocce ball On the other side of the line, Batista will have an attractive dispute with his compatriot Néstor Lorenzo for the legacy of their teacher José Pékerman.
It is Lorenzo who is most indebted after Colombia was left out of Qatar-2022, after participating in Russia-2018 and Brazil-2014.
Skilled striker Luis Díaz (Liverpool) is the new trump card for coffee, but Lorenzo still relies on the experience of 32-year-old James Rodríguez (Sao Paulo), despite his irregular current status.
“He was a player who gave a lot to the national team (…) for me, he is a reference point for the good,” added the coach about the top scorer of the 2014 World Cup, where Colombia reached the quarter-finals in its best historical performance.
Parity
Paraguay and Peru have similar potential and are direct rivals in the dispute for one of the two new South American venues for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Guarani team played their last World Cup in South Africa in 2010, where they achieved a historic quarter-final appearance, while Peru exited in frustration from their second consecutive participation in the play-offs against Qatar 2022 after going to Russia 2018 after a 36-year absence. .
Without the ability to face a thorough rebuild, Peru will start this match plagued by injuries. Eight players suffer from physical problems, including one of his characters, Gianluca Lapadula, who left the Inca formation very reduced, which once again turned to the record of its veteran historical scorer, Paolo Guerrero (39 years old) currently in the South American leader Liga de Quito.
On the other hand, Paraguay, led by Argentinian Guillermo Barroso Schelotto, intends to regain the leading role in the region with the leadership of sharp striker Miguel Almirón (Newcastle) and waiting for the recovery of the promising Julio Encis. (D)
South American qualifiers 2026
Source: Eluniverso
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
