Only four more fixtures remain to see which teams will secure a ticket to next year’s World Cup. Matchday 14 was set to be a defining one for many of the teams involved. Some wanted to ensure their places ahead of schedule, while others risked jeopardizing their chances of qualification. What follows can be considered the aftermath of the overview and what we can expect ahead of the fixtures in June.

The champion returns

Argentina is the biggest winner out of this international break. Hosting Brazil after the win against Uruguay seemed like a tough task for the Albiceleste. But considering Brazil’s current form, it was a tricky fixture to analyze. In the end, actions spoke louder than words, and Argentina displayed their best version against an unrecognizable Brazil. Scaloni will most likely continue to make way for new talent to strengthen the squad ahead of the World Cup. But the job is more than done in terms of qualifying.

Ecuador and Uruguay 

Both squads walked away with positive results from their most recent matches. Uruguay managed to win in Bolivia and gained ground towards qualification in the top spots alongside Ecuador and Argentina. Things can take an interesting turn if they are unable to win their upcoming fixture against Paraguay. But they are in good standing for qualification nonetheless.

Ecuador has a difficult fixture against an unpredictable Brazil. Their managerial change will probably give Brazil some momentum back, but Ecuador’s main strength is their defense, so a positive result is within the possibilities. However, should that not be the case and the rest of the table doesn’t see much movement, the qualification could be sealed against Peru. The draw against Chile in the previous international window left “La tri” with a possibility to clinch the qualification in this June window.

Brazil and Paraguay 

We might be seeing one of the weakest versions of Brazil, but even at their worst, it’s very unlikely that they miss out on a World Cup appearance. As previously stated, Ancelloti’s arrival took place at a perfect moment. We might not see his influence in this June window, but be sure that by September, Brazil secures a qualification spot. Nevertheless, they have to aim for at least one win during this window; time is running out, and the margin for error is nonexistent since all teams are within distance of each other.

Paraguay probably holds the tiebreaker for the qualification places this window. The ongoing resurgence under manager Gustavo Alfaro has not only placed Paraguay back in the qualification race, but it has also added pressure on the rest of the teams with qualifying spots. A win against Uruguay can see them escalate to the top places of the table while gaining a point cushion in the process. If they manage to win both of their games and other results work in their favor, they can literally force some of the teams to define their qualification chances on the final day. 

Colombia

It’s difficult to think that a year ago, they were literally unplayable and one of the finalists in the Copa America tournament. But things have changed since then. They sit in 6th place and hold the last direct qualification spot in the confederation. While they still hold a decent advantage to the lower places in the standings, the draw against Paraguay during the last international window sounded the alarm.

They have a must-win game against Peru and hope that the lower part of the table doesn’t suffer significant changes, otherwise, they will be forced to look for a result against Argentina. But by how things stand, they no longer control their destiny. Their point cushion is fading fast, and they have to start winning games if they want to keep the World Cup dream alive

Venezuela, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile

These four nations are in a separate battle among themselves. While Venezuela has the upper hand thanks to their win against Peru in the last window, it all comes down to the match against Bolivia. It’s very likely that this game decides who stays with the playoff spot in the confederation. The remaining games for both nations suggest that this will be the game with higher point-gaining possibilities. 

Bolivia could have more than one chance after facing Venezuela, but they can’t take risks. The defeat against Uruguay was a critical blow to their World Cup pathway. A win against Chile can keep their possibilities alive, but as things stand, it all circles back to the game against Venezuela. 

Peru and Chile have one more shot to stay alive in the qualification fight. Chile will face Argentina, so the outcome will not favor them unless they do the unthinkable. They have to aim for a comeback against Bolivia, but should the defeat against Argentina be by a big margin, they can be out of the fight as early as Thursday.

Having outlined some of the scenarios for this international window, we could see at least one more nation secure its place in the World Cup. Who’s the favorite this time around? Does Chile survive this international window? Questions that hopefully will be answered soon.