CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers: Standings, Fixtures & Results
The CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers decide which South American national teams reach FIFA’s finals. The 2026 campaign ran from September 2023 to September 2025 across ten countries and is now complete. Argentina topped the table, six teams qualified directly, and Bolivia entered the March 2026 inter-confederation play-off.
Final standings
Final matchday
Past winners
Play-off news
CONMEBOL Qualifiers: Key Facts
CONMEBOL 2026 Final Standings and Results
Final table after matchday 18 on 9 September 2025. Data checked 9 October 2026. P = played; W = wins; D = draws; L = losses; GD = goal difference; Pts = points. Positions 1–6 qualified directly; Bolivia reached the FIFA play-off but did not qualify for the World Cup.
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | +21 | 38 |
| 2 | Ecuador | 18 | 8 | 8 | 2 | +9 | 29 |
| 3 | Colombia | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | +10 | 28 |
| 4 | Uruguay | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | +10 | 28 |
| 5 | Brazil | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | +7 | 28 |
| 6 | Paraguay | 18 | 7 | 7 | 4 | +4 | 28 |
| 7 | Bolivia | 18 | 6 | 2 | 10 | −18 | 20 |
| 8 | Venezuela | 18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | −10 | 18 |
| 9 | Peru | 18 | 2 | 6 | 10 | −15 | 12 |
| 10 | Chile | 18 | 2 | 5 | 11 | −18 | 11 |
Ecuador’s total includes a three-point deduction ordered before the campaign. Argentina finished nine points ahead of second-placed Ecuador; Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay ended level on 28 points and were separated by the applicable tie-breakers.
Final Matchday: 9 September 2025
Ecuador
1
Argentina
0
Peru
0
Paraguay
1
Bolivia
1
Brazil
0
Venezuela
3
Colombia
6
Venezuela
0
Chile
0
CONMEBOL Qualifying History and Format
The current format of CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying has been in place since the 1998 World Cup qualifying cycle. It involves all ten of the South American national teams playing each other home and away for a total of 18 matches.
The format of South American World Cup qualifying has changed over the years, particularly with the number of places allocated to South America for the World Cup finals.
A single league of ten teams, with the top four teams automatically qualifying, and a play-off between the fifth and sixth teams in the final qualifying cycle;
With Brazil qualifying automatically as hosts, the nine remaining teams contested for the four direct qualifying places and a play-off place;
Direct qualifying places reduced to four, with the fifth place team contesting an inter-confederation play-off;
Qualifying places for South America increased to six, with the seventh-place team contesting the inter-confederation play-off.
For the 2026 World Cup, the confederations with the highest places in qualifying for the tournament secured those places. Argentina topped qualifying, with Bolivia in seventh place and a play-off against teams of other confederations.
Past CONMEBOL Qualifying Winners by World Cup Cycle
Qualification is not a yearly championship and is awarded as part of the overall World Cup awards. Therefore, the table shows World Cup cycles and not individual yearly winners. The earlier cycles used different formats; the single league era began with the 1998 qualification cycle.
| World Cup cycle | Leader / historical context |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Group-based qualifying; no single league winner |
| 1994 | Group-based qualifying; no single league winner |
| 1998 | Argentina (Brazil exempt as defending champion) |
| 2002 | Argentina |
| 2006 | Brazil |
| 2010 | Brazil |
| 2014 | Argentina (Brazil exempt as host) |
| 2018 | Brazil |
| 2022 | Brazil |
| 2026 | Argentina |
Latest CONMEBOL Qualifying News
Monterrey, Mexico
Bolivia, finishing 7th in South America, misses out on a spot in the World Cup after falling 1–2 to Iraq in the last match of the FIFA Inter-Confederation Play-off.
Monterrey, Mexico
Bolivia keeps their World Cup dreams alive by winning a play-off semi-final 2–1 against Suriname, advancing as the sole representative from CONMEBOL.
Final matchday
The final matchday of CONMEBOL qualifying wraps up, with Argentina leading the table with 38 points. Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay secure direct qualification in a 4-way tie, each finishing with 28 points.
Quito
Ecuador claims 2nd place overall (29 points) by defeating Argentina 1–0 in Quito, bouncing back from an earlier 3-point deduction to guarantee direct qualification.
Buenos Aires
In a 3–0 triumph over Venezuela at the Monumental Stadium, Argentina’s captain Lionel Messi sets the all-time record for goals scored in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers.