Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay chase Copa spot in Messi’s farewell round | OneFootball

In a round that will feature the exciting farewell of Lionel Messi in front of his fans in the South American Qualifiers, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Colombia play their final cards to secure a spot in the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

📊 Standings – 2026 World Cup Qualifiers

✅ Qualified

🇦🇷 Argentina – 35 points🇪🇨 Ecuador – 25🇧🇷 Brazil – 25

🔜 Close to qualifying

🇵🇾 Paraguay – 24🇺🇾 Uruguay – 24🇨🇴 Colombia – 22

💭 Dreaming of the playoffs

🇻🇪 Venezuela – 18🇧🇴 Bolivia – 17

⚠️ Needs a miracle

🇵🇪 Peru – 12

❌ Eliminated

🇨🇱 Chile – 10

Messi's last match in the Qualifiers

At 38 years old, Messi will play his last official match on Argentine soil against Venezuela in the World Cup Qualifiers. The number 10 has not confirmed if he will play in 2026, which could make him the first player to compete in six World Cups. He leaves the Qualifiers as Argentina's top scorer, with 34 goals in 72 matches.

Uruguay, Paraguay, and Colombia close to the World Cup

The three teams play at home this round. Uruguay, led by Marcelo Bielsa, faces Peru at the Centenario Stadium, while Paraguay hosts Ecuador at Defensores del Chaco, and Colombia, led by Luis Díaz, takes on Bolivia in Barranquilla. All can secure their spot as early as this Thursday.

Brazil faces Chile at Maracanã

In another match, Brazil, under Carlo Ancelotti, faces bottom-placed Chile at Maracanã, without Vinícius Jr., Rodrygo, and Neymar. The coach emphasized that there is no need for “tests” with Neymar, but that the star needs to be in good physical shape for the 2026 World Cup.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.