South American national teams are preparing for two decisive rounds in the race to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Three teams have already secured direct qualification spots: Argentina, Ecuador, and Brazil, leaving the competition fierce for three remaining direct qualification places among five teams, plus an additional spot via the intercontinental playoff.

The 17th and penultimate round of qualifiers kicks off early Friday, September 5, featuring many important and anticipated moments, whether regarding some teams’ chances to qualify and hold onto their last hopes, those on the verge of securing qualification, or players likely to end their international careers, stealing the spotlight with what could be their final appearances.

Messi Bids Farewell to Argentina

Although the match holds no special stakes, Argentina will attract significant attention when it hosts Venezuela at the famous Monumental stadium.

This comes after Lionel Messi, Argentina’s captain, hinted at the possibility of retiring from international football, with the match against Venezuela being personally important as it might be his last with Argentina on home soil in World Cup qualifiers. However, coach Lionel Scaloni refused to confirm Messi’s retirement before the 2026 World Cup, saying: “Enjoy him as long as he plays with us.”

Messi’s presence alone was enough for the Argentine Football Association to raise ticket prices for the match against Venezuela, considering it might be the last game for “La Pulga” with the “Tango Dancers.”

Messi has played 193 international matches, scoring 112 goals and assisting 61, in a career that saw some early setbacks but culminated in historic triumphs, including winning the Copa América and the World Cup.

Easy Task

Brazil will theoretically have an easy task when hosting bottom-ranked Chile, with Brazil holding 25 points in third place, while Chile has only 10 points from 16 matches.

Decisive and Hopeful Matches

At home, Paraguay hosts Ecuador, a good opportunity for the hosts to secure a win that guarantees World Cup qualification after a 15-year absence, specifically since the 2010 South Africa edition, which was also Paraguay’s best performance reaching the quarterfinals in their eight previous participations.

Paraguay has 24 points in fifth place, while Ecuador, the runner-up, has 25 points and has already qualified.

Colombia, in sixth place with 22 points, faces Bolivia, a match representing Bolivia’s last hope, needing a win to keep their qualification chances alive. A victory would bring Bolivia to 20 points, improving their chances to compete for the playoff spot if they fail to qualify directly in the final round 18.

Historically, Colombia has the upper hand over Bolivia, winning 17 times, losing 8, and drawing 10.

Uruguay meets Peru, with Uruguay holding 24 points in fourth place, close to official qualification, while Peru has no chance for one of the six qualifying spots, sitting ninth with 12 points.

In the final 18th round, Argentina visits Ecuador, Brazil travels to Bolivia, Venezuela faces Colombia, Peru plays Paraguay, and Chile meets Uruguay, all scheduled early on September 10.