Here’s what’s next for South American teams preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

In what has become a summer of soccer, the 2024 Copa America is just one of many tournaments, with Argentina crowned the reigning South American champions.

The focus of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) has now shifted to perhaps the toughest World Cup qualifying period on the planet, scheduled over the next two years.

The South American qualifying process is grueling as teams play 18 matches over the next two and a half years, which usually means some of the strongest teams could miss out on qualifying for the FIFA World Cup.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams, giving even more South American teams the chance to take part in the biggest sporting event in history.

Despite the expansion of the competition and the number of CONMEBOL teams qualifying, World Cup qualification is still a long journey. Below is the current standings, including the three points deducted from Ecuador’s total points earned for using ineligible players in the last cycle.

Looking at these standings, the three teams aiming to return to the United States, Mexico and Canada in 2026 are shaping up to be interesting to watch over the next few years based on their performances in the Copa America.

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Brazil

Brazil lost to Uruguay in the Copa America quarter-finals on penalties. The team is packed with talent, including attacking players like Vinicius Junior, Rodrigo and Endric. Alisson Becker is in goal and there are big names in almost every position.

So why are they struggling in the Copa America?

They have failed to perform to the high standard that football fans are accustomed to seeing. Now they have resumed World Cup qualifying but their performance there has worsened and they currently sit sixth in the table with a losing record.

Remarkably, the country is in a similar situation to the United States, trying to figure out what their style of play should be and whether their current player pool can inspire a nation that is trying to win its sixth World Cup. They’ve also had a string of coaches come and go, but no one seems to be able to solve the problem.

Brazil is at a crossroads. The team has never missed a World Cup and doesn’t want to start now at the biggest tournament. The last time Brazil won the World Cup was in the United States in 1994, where they won their fourth title.

Essentially, Brazil needs their stars to start playing like stars on the international stage on offense and they need to improve defensively if they really want to be considered contenders in 2026.

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Columbia

Colombia’s run to the Copa America final was thrilling. After an unbeaten streak dating back to February 2022, Colombia lost to Argentina, ending their 28-game winning streak. In fact, Winning Streak They lost 0-1 to Argentina with a goal from Lautaro Martinez.

So Colombia must be ecstatic about how far they have come and the possibility of being seen as strong favourites to win the World Cup.

So far, they are undefeated in World Cup qualifiers and currently sit third in the CONMEBOL standings. And they have some great players playing great football at this point. They probably didn’t expect a rejuvenated captain, James Rodriguez, to help them in the Copa America, but now that it has happened, they must be feeling confident about their chances to succeed in the remaining qualifiers. If they can continue to play at this elite level, the world should realize that Los Cafeteros are up for it all.

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Uruguay

Uruguay finished third in the Copa America after losing to Colombia in the semifinals, then came back to beat Canada on penalties in the third-place playoff. Uruguay may have to deal with the fallout from a brawl after the semifinal against Colombia, when players ran into the stands and fought with Colombian fans whose families were in trouble.

Nevertheless, they are in good form as they resume FIFA World Cup qualifying.

Uruguay currently sit second in the league and what’s great for manager Marcelo Bielsa is how they have quietly rebuilt and consolidated their squad – only Luis Suarez is over 31 on the Copa America squad but at 37 it’s hard to imagine him still with the team in 2026.

Uruguay’s roster features 14 players under the age of 25, including stars Darwin Nunez and Federico Valverde, giving the young players the experience they need ahead of the 2026 tournament. They still have World Cup qualifying to complete, but if they can stay healthy, Uruguay could be one of the toughest teams to beat.