That expanded field means Argentina is already well on its way to a World Cup return, but the table is tightening up. Brazil have recovered after a slow start, while Colombia and Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay are dangerous but have had hiccups and Bolivia had won three in a row to thicken the plot in the race for the final

In the FIFA World Cup 2026 CONMEBOL qualifying match on 22 March, 10-men Argentina defeated Uruguay away 1-0, with Thiago Almada scoring the only goal of the match in the 68th minute. Despite missing their captain Lionel Messi due to muscle injury as well as several other key players,

CONMEBOL took notice of the seven substitutions Brazil made against Colombia in the 2026 South American World Cup Qualifiers and has made a ruling. Colombia fans briefly believed they could claim the three points from their loss to Brazil.