Bolivia defeat Brazil and move closer to World Cup qualification: When are the playoffs and who will they face?

Bolivia are close to reaching the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 32 years after defeating Brazil — but they’ll still have to earn their spot through the playoffs.

This Tuesday marked the official end of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While the six teams earning direct qualification had already been confirmed last week, Bolivia secured seventh place after beating Brazil and will now play a playoff for a chance to return to soccer’s biggest stage for the first time since 1994.

Despite entering the final matchday behind Venezuela in the standings, everything fell perfectly into place for the Bolivians. A goal by Miguel Terceros from the penalty spot gave them a home win over Brazil, and they capitalized on Venezuela’s crushing 6–2 loss to Colombia to claim the coveted seventh position.

Now Bolivia face a new challenge in their quest to qualify for the World Cup. In March 2026, they will travel to Mexico to compete in an intercontinental playoff tournament featuring five other teams from different confederations, all fighting for the final two World Cup spots.

The South American side is the second team officially confirmed for the playoffs. The first was New Caledonia, which earned its spot after a historic run in Oceania, finishing second only to New Zealand. However, four more playoff participants are still to be determined: one team from Africa, one from Asia, and two from Concacaf — the latter having extra spots as the host confederation for the 2026 World Cup.

* Developing story