ZURICH.- The football team Bolivia He already knows his two rivals in the intercontinental playoff to qualify for the World Cup 2026: a semi-final against Surinam and, in case of victory, a final against Iraqafter the draw held this Thursday in Zurich.
La Verde, which has played three World Cups in its history, will seek a fourth participation against Suriname, which despite being less than 3,000 km from Bolivia and geographically in South America, occupies one of the positions in the CONCACAFconfederation of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
The former Dutch colony, which has historically nurtured the ‘Oranje’ with some great players from the European power, is now dreaming of its first World Cup qualification.
If they beat Suriname, Bolivia will have to face Iraq in the final, which, having a better FIFA ranking, is exempt from playing in the semifinals. The Lions of Mesopotamia have only competed in one edition, in 1986 in Mexico.
Bolivia, which participated in the 1930 and 1950 World Cups without needing to qualify, has only played one edition through the qualification process: it was precisely in the United States, in 1994, when the team was led by the recently deceased Spanish coach. Xabier Azkargorta.
On the other side of the intercontinental playoffs, New Caledonia will face Jamaica in the semifinals, and the winner will face Democratic Republic of the Congo in the final for a ticket to the 2026 World Cup, which will be held next summer in USA, Mexico and Canada.
Italy is going back
Italy, four-time world champion, will face Northern Ireland in March in the semifinals of the European playoffs to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, after having missed the last two editions of the tournament.
In case of victory, the Azzurra would face in the final the winner of the other semi-final of table A, in which Wales and Bosnia-Herzegovina will face each other, after the draw held this Thursday at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
In the European play-offs, up to sixteen countries will compete for the continent’s last four tickets to the World Cup, which will be held next summer in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Of all the participants, Italy is clearly the most powerful in terms of achievements and history, thanks to its four world titles (1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006) and two European Championships (1968 and 2021).
