From the CONMEBOL Sudamericana to the national teams: the players called up

25th March

Club football will pause in the coming days to make way for international duty. And one team in particular from the continent will take the field with many dreams at stake: Bolivia will compete in the qualifying tournament for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Among the teams participating in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana, two will contribute players to Bolivia’s bid to return to a World Cup 32 years after their last appearance. Marcelo Torrez and Miguel Terceros, both from Santos, along with Moisés Villarroel and Gilmar Centella of Blooming (Bolivia), are the players involved in the continental tournament who are currently representing the Bolivian national team.

Bolivia will take the field this Thursday, March 25, against Suriname in the semifinals of the qualifying tournament. The winner will face Iraq next week for one of the available spots at the World Cup.

Road to the World Cup

Club football will pause in the coming days to make way for international duty, as national teams continue their preparations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. While Bolivia fights for one of the final available spots, the teams that have already secured qualification will use the March FIFA window to play friendlies and assess potential selections for their final squads.

Brasil

The Brazilian national team, managed by Carlo Ancelotti, will face France and Croatia on March 26 and 31, respectively. Midfielder Danilo, of Botafogo, is the only player from a CONMEBOL Sudamericana club included in the Italian coach’s squad.

Argentina

Argentina will play friendlies against Mauritania and Zambia during the international window. The first match is scheduled for March 27, and head coach Lionel Scaloni has called up two players competing in the CONMEBOL Sudamericana: Lucas Martínez Quarta and Marcos Acuña, both from River Plate.

Colombia

Colombia will face the same opponents as Brazil, but in reverse order: Croatia on March 26 and France two days later. For these matches, Kevin Castaño and Juan Fernando Quintero, both from River Plate, have been called up, along with Carlos Andrés Gómez of Vasco da Gama.

Ecuador

Head coach Sebastián Beccacece has included five players from CONMEBOL Sudamericana clubs for the friendlies against Morocco and the Netherlands: Ángelo Preciado, Alan Minda, and Alan Franco, all from Atlético Mineiro; José Hurtado of Red Bull Bragantino; and Kendry Páez of River Plate.

Paraguay

Paraguay will also feature five players from CONMEBOL Sudamericana teams. For the friendlies against Greece and Morocco, the squad includes Orlando Gill (San Lorenzo), Gastón Olveira (Olimpia), Junior Alonso (Atlético Mineiro), Fabián Balbuena (Grêmio), and Damián Bobadilla (São Paulo).

Uruguay

Uruguay, meanwhile, has called up two players from CONMEBOL Sudamericana clubs: Matías Viña of River Plate and José Luis Rodríguez of Vasco da Gama. The team will face England and Algeria on March 27 and 31, respectively.