Bolivia
Ricardo Gareca has stepped down as Chile’s head coach after the team failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The decision came following Chile’s 2-0 defeat against Bolivia on Tuesday. With that loss, Chile suffered its 10th defeat in the South American qualifiers and is now last in the standings, unable to reach even the playoff spot.
The goals came from Bolivia’s Miguel Terceros and Enzo Monteiro during the match held in El Alto. In the post-match press conference, Gareca said, “We made a decision with the coaching staff to step away. We didn’t get the results. It’s a tough situation for Chile and for me personally.”
Gareca took charge of the Chilean national team in January 2024 but managed just one win in 13 matches. This result marks Chile’s third straight World Cup miss, after also failing to qualify in 2018 and 2022. Chile last played at a World Cup in 2014.
Bolivia now has 17 points and still has a slim chance of qualifying, with matches against Colombia and Brazil remaining. Chile, meanwhile, will finish its qualifying campaign in September with matches against Brazil and Uruguay.
Chile’s recent downfall is a stark contrast to its past glory, especially its historic back-to-back Copa America wins in 2015 and 2016. Now, the national team must rebuild for the future, aiming to rise again after another painful elimination from the world’s biggest football stage.
