BARRANQUILLA, COLOMBIA – OCTOBER 15: Luis Diaz of Colombia (C) celebrates with teammates James … [+] Rodriguez (L) and Richard Rios after scoring the team’s second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 South American Qualifier match between Colombia and Chile at Roberto Melendez Metropolitan Stadium on October 15, 2024 in Barranquilla, Colombia.
On a night where Lionel Messi stole the headlines with a wondrous performance for Argentina, the likes of Colombia and Brazil also picked up some fantastic results.
Colombia are well on their way to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. They picked up a huge win against Chile in Barranquilla and sit in second place in the qualifying league table.
They have only lost one of their ten games during this campaign, and as always they were dangerous from set-pieces and on the counter attack on a hot evening on the north coast. Chile were no match as the likes of Premier League stars Luis Díaz and Jhon Durán both got their names on the scoresheet, on a day where the hosts wore a stunning kit that celebrated the centenary of the federation.
Brazil have underwhelmed during this campaign but they finally got their shooting boots on in Brasilia, sweeping aside visitors Peru, and making it back-to-back wins for the October international break.
It wasn’t easy to begin with as the visitors had a goal denied by VAR for offside, and Brazil opened the scoring with a penalty that was a pretty soft call. However the floodgates then opened and the second half saw the hosts run away with a victory that should settle the nerves going into the next set of games.
BRASILIA, BRAZIL – OCTOBER 15: Raphinha of Brazil celebrates after scoring their first goal during … [+] the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2026 South America match between Brazil and Peru at Mane Garrincha Arena in Brasilia, Brazil on October 15, 2024.
Uruguay are a team way out of form and they haven’t found the back of the net in four consecutive qualifying matches now. However at least they didn’t lost this game to a talented Ecuador team that trail them by just three points in the table.
Few clear cut chances were created in this game. Perhaps both teams were happy with a point against a worthy opponent, and both are still safe enough in their automatic qualifying positions, but for Uruguay especially a change in form has to happen ahead of very tough November fixtures against Colombia and Brazil.
Paraguay picked up a massively important win over qualifying rivals Venezuela. In doing so they moved above their visitors into the table, and into the holy grail of automatic qualifying spots.
Astonishingly Paraguay only picked up two goals in their opening nine games of the campaign, last night they doubled that tally, and in their defence they have only conceded four goals in the same period. Venezuela drop out of the qualifying places and host Brazil in their next fixture.
ASUNCION, PARAGUAY – OCTOBER 15: Antonio Sanabria of Paraguay celebrates after scoring the team’s … [+] first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 South American Qualifier match between Paraguay and Venezuela at Estadio Defensores del Chaco on October 15, 2024 in Asuncion, Paraguay.

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