- Round 1 of FIFA World Cup qualifying continues in South America
- Colombia host Venezuela in Barranquilla
- Record champions Brazil face Bolivia in Sao Paulo
South American qualifying for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ got underway yesterday with Argentina and Uruguay securing winning starts while Paraguay and Peru shared the spoils in Asuncion.
Round 1 continues with two intriguing fixtures on Friday evening. Colombia, who reached the knockout stage at Russia 2018, host Venezuela, a team that has integrated some of the players that finished runners-up at the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017. In the later game, record champions Brazil get their Qatar 2022 qualifying journey started with a meeting against Bolivia.
Today’s matches
Colombia-Venezuela
Brazil-Bolivia
Starting XIs
Did you know?
- Portuguese coach Jose Peseiro will make his debut at the Venezuelan helm against compatriot Carlos Queiroz’s Colombia — Peseiro was Queiroz’s technical assistant during the 2003/04 season he spent in charge of Real Madrid
- Venezuela are the only nation from the CONMEBOL region yet to qualify for a senior World Cup
- Colombia midfielder James Rodriguez has already scored three goals and contributed three assists in five games with new club Everton
- Brazil have never lost a World Cup qualifier at home with 42 wins and 12 draws in 54 matches played in total
- Brazil was the highest-scoring nation during Russia 2018 qualifying (41 goals); scored the most goals in the first and second half (16 and 25, respectively) and the most goals from inside and outside the area (35 and 6, respectively)
- Bolivia finished in the bottom two places in each of the region’s last four preliminary campaigns, while they are its lowest-positioned side on the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking
Next Up
Tuesday 13 October