Ancelotti And Brazil Can Confirm FIFA 2026 World Cup Qualification

New Brazil national team manager Carlo Ancelotti can see his side confirm its spot at the FIFA 2026 World Cup this week. Ecuador, Uruguay, Paraguay and Colombia can also confirm their places at the tournament if results go their way. Meanwhile Argentina has already booked its place.

Colombia who currently sits in the sixth and final automatic qualifying spot in South America will likely need just three points from an available six to qualify this week. Whilst the other teams above them could easily qualify with just one or two points from the upcoming matches.

Brazil Must Improve Under Ancelotti

Qualification is coming, but for Carlo Ancelotti and the Brazil squad this is the least of their worries. One year out from the big tournament, Brazil shouldn’t even have to contemplate qualification. By the standards of this nation, they should be building a team that can win this tournament.

With that in mind, Carlo Ancelotti better get moving. The new boss opens up with games against Ecuador and Paraguay, but his time on the training ground with the team will also be vital if he is to start coaching the team into his own style of play.

This international window will be too soon to judge the new manager, but heavy expectations will be waiting around the corner for Ancelotti, and come the September and October internationals Brazil fans will expect big improvements for their side after a recent humbling by Argentina.

Ecuador And European Silverware

Ecuador sits second in the table and are the only team in qualification to have lost as few as two games. At the Qatar 2022 World Cup the team was unlucky to face the Netherlands and an in-form Senegal in the group stages but this sterling young squad has grown since then and will be aiming for the knock-out rounds next summer.

Days ago, PSG centre-back Willian Pacho became the first ever player from Ecuador to win the European Cup, and his international teammate Moisés Caicedo scored for Chelsea as he lifted the UEFA Conference League title. The future and the FIFA 2026 World Cup is looking bright for Ecuador who takes on Brazil and Peru in the next week.

Uruguay Flattering To Deceive

Uruguay has been relatively quiet and inconsistent during this campaign. Marcelo Bielsa’s men have won just five games from 14 but those included famous victories at home to Brazil and away to Argentina. Like any Bielsa or Uruguay side however they are a fiercely competitive group of players and very difficult to beat.

Uruguay has a year to try and convince the country it can do something special at the World Cup, starting with games away to Paraguay and at home to Venezuela this week. Qualification now seems a formality but the team hasn’t yet shown the conviction of a side that can compete for the biggest prize of all next summer.

Paraguay Has Shocked South America

Paraguay has undoubtedly been the surprise package of this FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, and on an eight match unbeaten streak it is also the most in-form team on the continent. It is quite remarkable that Paraguay seems a near-qualifier with four games of the league still to be played; very few would have predicted such.

This amazing campaign has been formed on few goals at either end. Paraguay has conceded nine and scored just 11 in 14 games, but that means seven clean sheets providing the base to go and get results from. Paraguay has only lost three matches. Paraguay are six points above Venezuela in the play-off position and faces Uruguay and Brazil in the next week.

Colombia On The Cusp Of Qualifying

Colombia currently occupies the final automatic qualifying spot for the FIFA 2026 World Cup in the South American league table. Luis Díaz and his teammates are five points ahead of Venezuela and will hope to extend that margin, or at least maintain it, by defeating Peru at home this week.

A win against Peru would make Colombia very difficult for Venezuela to catch as they also have a home fixture to come against Bolivia in September. Six points from the remaining 12 will almost definitely be enough to qualify as Venezuela won’t take maximum points. After the Peru game Colombia travels to Argentina for a rematch of the Copa America final; another fine test of their credentials ahead of the 2026 tournament.