Bolivia kept their 2026 World Cup hopes alive on Tuesday after edging Brazil 1-0 in El Alto to secure a place in the continental play-offs.
Miguel Terceros converted a penalty on the stroke of half-time to hand Bolivia victory over the five-time world champions at 4,150 metres above sea level.
The result lifted Bolivia into seventh place in the final South American qualifying table, leapfrogging Venezuela, who suffered a 6-3 home defeat to Colombia.
Venezuela, chasing a first-ever World Cup appearance, had started the day one point ahead of Bolivia but fell short at the final hurdle.
“We’re very happy, but we need to keep our feet on the ground, knowing that we have to keep fighting,” said Bolivia coach Oscar Villegas.
Six teams will contest the play-off tournament next March, reportedly in Mexico, with two earning tickets to the finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Bolivia are aiming for their first World Cup appearance since 1994, when they exited in the group stage.
The win triggered wild celebrations across La Paz, neighbouring El Alto, as fans dreamt of a return to football’s biggest stage.
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador and Paraguay had already secured automatic qualification. In other results, Ecuador beat Argentina 1-0, Paraguay defeated Peru 1-0 in Lima, while Chile and Uruguay drew goalless.