Bolivia and Jamaica They kept alive this Thursday their dream of qualifying for the World 2026 after winning the semifinals of the intercontinental playoffs held in Mexico. The South American team came back against Surinamwhile the Caribbean beat New Caledonia by the minimum to continue in the race towards World Cup of the United States, Mexico and Canada.
With these results, Bolivia and Iraq will define one of the last tickets to the tournament, while Jamaica will face the Democratic Republic of the Congo in search of a historic place.
Bolivia came back from Suriname and was one step away from the 2026 World Cup
At the Monterrey stadium, Bolivia achieved a victory full of emotion by defeating Suriname 2-1 in playoff B.
The South American team started at a disadvantage after Liam van Gelderen’s goal in the 48th minute, but reacted in the second half with goals from Moisés Paniagua in the 72nd minute and Miguel Terceros in the 79th minute, the latter from the penalty spot.
The comeback unleashed the euphoria of the Bolivian fans present in the so-called Steel Giant, who vibrated with a team that seeks to return to a World Cup after 32 years of absence, since its participation in the United States 1994.
“We had a lot of possession, but unfortunately without a goal. Afterwards we made an important rethink and the players showed their character,” declared Bolivian coach Óscar Villegas.
Miguel Terceros and Paniagua led Bolivia’s reaction
Bolivia once again showed some of the offensive limitations that it has suffered throughout the South American tie, especially in the first half, when it generated chances but was not forceful in front of the rival goal.
The team led by Villegas controlled possession, led in the midfield by Ramiro Vaca, although it was difficult for them to break the defense of Suriname, which opted for a conservative system and sought to hurt the counterattack.
The Surinamese team took advantage of a defensive error to go ahead on the scoreboard, but Bolivia’s response came thanks to changes from the bench.
Youth Moisés Paniagua, just 18 years old, scored a key goal to tie the game, while Juan Godoy caused the penalty that Miguel “Miguelito” Terceros, current player for Santos in Brazil, later converted into the qualifying goal.
Bolivia vs Iraq: the final for a place in the World Cup
After beating Suriname, Bolivia will play next Tuesday against Iraq for one of the tickets to the 2026 World Cup.
If they manage to advance, La Verde will be placed in Group I, along with the teams of France, Senegal and Norway, in what would be one of the most demanding groups of the tournament.
The match against Suriname was followed by 33,547 spectators in Monterrey, among them the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, who also witnessed the strong security operation deployed around the stadium.
Jamaica beat New Caledonia and is also still alive
In the other playoff, corresponding to table A, Jamaica defeated New Caledonia 1-0 at the Guadalajara stadium and qualified for the final of their bracket.
The only goal of the match was the work of Bailey Cadamarteri, a striker who was barely 20 years old, who gave the Reggae Boyz a valuable victory to keep intact the hope of playing in their second World Cup, after their historic participation in France 1998.
Although Jamaica started as favorites against an Oceanic team ranked 150th in the FIFA ranking, the Caribbean team had to work harder than necessary to seal their pass.
Jamaica will face DR Congo for another ticket to the World Cup
With this victory, Jamaica will face the Democratic Republic of the Congo next Tuesday, which is also seeking to return to a World Cup after several decades.
The last World Cup participation of the African team was in Germany 1974, when they were still competing under the name of Zaire.
The winner of this match will join Group K of the 2026 World Cup, where Portugal, Uzbekistan and Colombia are already waiting.
Bolivia and Jamaica, 90 minutes away from returning to the World Cup
Both Bolivia and Jamaica were just one match away from returning to the biggest stage in international football.
La Verde wants to break a drought of more than three decades and feel the excitement of a World Cup again, while the Reggae Boyz seek to repeat the feat they achieved at the end of the 90s.
Next Tuesday will be decisive for both teams, which keep the hope of being in the big event of the 2026 World Cup intact.
