All of the results from the South American World Cup(CONMEBOL) Qualifying have been published. On the penultimate matchday, the four direct tickets to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar were all confirmed, and the fifth-place playoff team was decided on the last day.
With five games remaining, Brazil (1st, 45 points) and Argentina were the first teams to officially secure a spot.
Uruguay (3rd, 28 points) ended solid and advanced to third place, having overtaken Ecuador (4th, 26 points), which ended powerfully by tying Lionel Messi’s Argentina in qualifying. Uruguay and Ecuador both won on the penultimate day of the tournament.
Peru, meanwhile, conquered adversity to finish fifth and earn a spot in the intercontinental playoff match against Australia or the United Arab Emirates in June. Peru (5th, 24 points) was only one point ahead of Colombia, one of the pre-qualifying favorites (6th, 23 points).
The Cafeteros will have four years to contemplate what may have transpired in 2022 if circumstances were different.
CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying Standings
Standings updated as of Wednesday, March 30 (Note: Goal difference is the first tiebreaker)
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1*-Brazil (X) | 45 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 40 | 5 | +35 |
| 2*-Argentina (X) | 39 | 17 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 27 | 8 | +19 |
| 3*-Uruguay (X) | 28 | 18 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 22 | 22 | 0 |
| 4*-Ecuador (X) | 26 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 27 | 19 | +8 |
| 5*-Peru (Y) | 24 | 18 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 19 | 22 | -3 |
| 6-Colombia | 23 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 20 | 19 | +1 |
| 7-Chile | 19 | 18 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 19 | 26 | -7 |
| 8-Paraguay (E) | 16 | 18 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 26 | -14 |
| 9-Bolivia (E) | 15 | 18 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 23 | 43 | -20 |
| 10-Venezuela (E) | 10 | 18 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 14 | 34 | -20 |
PTS=Points, GP=Games Played, W=Wins, L=Losses, D=Draws, GF=Goals For, GA=Goals Allowed, GD=Goal Difference
* The top four teams earn direct berths to the 2022 World Cup. Fifth place earns a spot in a World Cup playoff.
(X = clinched World Cup berth; Y = World Cup playoff; E = Eliminated)
Who can still qualify?
The team that comes fifth in the AFC qualification process proceeds to an inter-confederation playoff against the nation that wins the fourth round. Peru will face either the United Arab Emirates or Australia in the final, with the latter two meeting in a single leg tie in Qatar on June 7. A week later, Peru will meet the winner for a spot in the World Cup.
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