Montevideo. Uruguay said goodbye to Luis Suárez, one of its key players in the last decade, with a dull 0-0 draw against Paraguay at the Centenario. The Charrúas took second place in the qualifying round with 14 points, while Paraguay is in seventh place, in the play-off zone.
The emblematic Centenario stadium experienced a special afternoon as it was the last game that Suárez played with the Uruguayan national team. Gunslinger He says goodbye like this Celeste as the all-time top scorer with 69 goals in 143 matches.
Afp Photo
“Thank you so much, Lucho!”, “Unique and unrivalled”, “You are living history” were the phrases with which the fans said goodbye to Suárez amidst applause and fireworks.
After the match, a flood of emotions took over the venue. From the videos with messages from his friends and teammates, Neymar and Lionel Messi, to the presence of one of his mentors, Maestro Oscar Tabárez, and his colleagues from the so-called generation of 2010.
Afp Photo
“Uruguay is bigger than any player. Starting tomorrow I will be just another fan,” said an emotional Suarez as he thanked the crowd at the legendary Montevideo stadium.
But the excitement in the stands did not carry over to the pitch, where a boring match with few dangerous situations was played.
Photo Ap
Almost never the Celeste He was able to impose the fast-paced game that distinguishes coach Marcelo Bielsa, contained by a successful defensive strategy from his colleague and compatriot Gustavo Alfaro, who in his debut achieved what he went to Montevideo to look for: a draw to alleviate the complicated situation of the Guaranis in the qualifiers.
Brazil shakes
With a solitary goal from Rodrygo, Brazil broke the streak of four games without winning in the Conmebol qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup by beating Ecuador 1-0. With the victory, the yellow green reached fourth place in the ranking, while the Ecuadorians are in sixth place.
Rodrygo sealed Brazil’s essential victory with a shot from mid-range in the 30th minute. But Dorival Junior’s team did not show much more after a streak that had placed them in an uncomfortable situation in the World Cup qualifiers with 10 points, eight less than the leader Argentina.
Afp Photo
The Brazilians have taken a first step towards correcting their course, although they are still far from showing the power that frightened the region.
In contrast, in the debut of Argentine coach Sebastián Beccacece, Ecuador unsuccessfully sought a draw that was a profitable business, but did not show any resources after the Brazilian advantage.
In the next round of qualifying, which will be played next Tuesday, Brazil will visit Paraguay and Ecuador will host Ecuador.
Colombia continues with good progress
Colombia maintained its unbeaten record and consolidated its third place in the 2026 World Cup qualifying round by drawing 1-1 in its visit to Peru, which remained at the bottom of the table.
Afp Photo
Alexander Callens put the Peruvians ahead in the 68th minute, but forward Luis Díaz equalized in the 81st minute with a header after a pass from James Rodríguez.
