Defending champion Argentina qualified for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday when Bolivia failed to beat Uruguay.
Argentina leads South American qualifying and hosts archrival Brazil at the Monumental de Nunez Stadium later Tuesday.
South America has six direct berths in the next World Cup, a 48-team tournament to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Argentina was assured of one of the six spots when seventh-place Bolivia drew 0-0 with Uruguay in El Alto.
Backed by Lionel Messi, three-time World Cup winner Argentina (28 points) has led South American qualifying from the start, with few hiccups and major away wins at Brazil and Uruguay.
But coach Lionel Scaloni has not fielded 37-year-old Messi in several games, which still raises doubts on whether the star will play in the tournament next year.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Get more from FIFA Men’s World Cup Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Read the full article here
