source: StadiumDB.com; author: Kuba Kowalski
The World Cup qualifiers in the CONMEBOL zone are a competition between 10 national teams. The one that has finished bottom of the competition in recent decades has been Bolivia. However, after moving to a stadium that is one of the highest in the world, results have started to improve.
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Yes, the Bolivian national team had not won three competitive matches in a row this century. Until October this year. The team is on a crazy streak right now, and it’s because of the advantage their home pitch gives them.
Bolivia has always been a nightmare for visiting teams. Previously, matches were played at a stadium in La Paz, 3,600 metres above sea level, and it usually took a few days for the visiting teams to adjust to breathing at this altitude. Many highlighted the dangers of the situation, but instead of taking precautions, the Bolivian federation decided to make it even more difficult for the visitors to play on foreign soil.
© Stefan Striffler | Estadio Hernando Siles
Since September, the Bolivian national team has moved to the stadium in El Alto, which is the highest venue in the world with a capacity of at least 10 000. It is located at 4150 metres above sea level and since the move, the Bolivian national team’s performance has improved significantly. Venezuela, who won all their group matches at the recent Copa America, were the first to travel to El Alto. The match saw four goals scored – all to Bolivia’s account.
After the impressive victory, the team travelled much down the road. With the Chilean national team, the Bolivians faced an altitude of 522 metres above sea level, but to everyone’s surprise they managed to win 1:2.
© Gobierno Municipal de El Alto | Estadio Municipal de El Alto
The win against Chile ended the longest streak of matches without an away win in the entire history of World Cup qualification. Bolivia have failed to win as visitors for 67 straight matches. Their series began after a 7:1 away win against Venezuela on 18 July 1993 and spanned seven full campaigns (from 1998 to 2022) and two partial ones (1994 and 2024).
According to iffhs.com, the previous record holder was Luxembourg, who failed to win their first 53 away World Cup qualifiers, starting from their debut in the competition in 1937. It took them 71 years (and 16 full campaigns) to do so. The disastrous series ended on September 10, 2008 against Switzerland (1:2). Interestingly, Switzerland finished that competition as winners of the qualifying group.
San Marino currently occupy third place on the infamous podium
with 38 such matches in a row. Since their debut in 1992, they are still unable to win any game in World Cup qualifying, and have only managed to avoid defeat twice. Their only away match ending in a draw was in 2001, a 1-1 draw against Latvia.
The Bolivian national team had 2 matches scheduled for October – one at home and one away. Despite a clear victory over Venezuela, the hosts were not given much of a chance this time. Colombia, who had been unbeaten so far in the qualifiers, came to El Alto. Although Bolivian midfielder Hector Cuellar received a red card as early as the 20th minute at 0:0, the hosts managed to win 1:0!
The incredible streak was ended by Argentina, who crushed Bolivia by as much as 6:0 in a packed stadium in Buenos Aires. We watched this match from the stands, and you can find extensive photo coverage of the match on the Mas Monumental subpage.
© Grzegorz Kaliciak | Mâs Monumental
That’s how long it will be in 2026 since the last World Cup at which Bolivia played. As in 2 years’ time, this tournament was also hosted by the United States in 1994. A return to the most important football tournament in the world would be a phenomenon, given the circumstances that may determine the success of the Bolivian national team. After all, there is no denying that playing home matches at more than 4,000 metres above sea level creates a huge advantage for local footballers.
Bolivia will enter the November campaign with 12 points. The national team currently ranks 7th in the qualifiers, securing promotion to the playoffs. The first 6 places give direct promotion to the World Cup. Bolivia loses a point to the 6th and 5th places, occupied by Ecuador and Paraguay. It is in November that Bolivia will face both national teams, while they will take on Paraguay at home in the harsh El Alto.
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