Marcelo Bielsa eyes third World Cup spot with Lionel Messi set for home swansong

MONTEVIDEO – Charismatic veteran coach Marcelo Bielsa is on the brink of guiding a third team to World Cup qualification, as Uruguay take on Peru on Sept 4 (Sept 5, Singapore time) needing only a draw to secure their ticket to the 2026 North American extravaganza.

Paraguay, who host Ecuador, also need only a draw, while Colombia can book their spot by beating Bolivia.

Reigning champions Argentina, for whom the incomparable Lionel Messi will be playing his last home qualifier at the age of 38, have already secured their berth, alongside Brazil and Ecuador.

For Uruguay, a draw or more in front of 60,000 fans in a packed-out Estadio Centenario in Montevideo would be a fitting achievement for the 70-year-old Bielsa.

He guided his native Argentina to a shock group-stage exit at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, but did better for Chile in South Africa in 2010, reaching the knockout stages, before losing 3-0 to Brazil.

However, all has not been plain sailing with Uruguay.

While Bielsa was met with supporter excitement – and even euphoria – when he took over the reins in 2023, an underwhelming campaign has dampened that enthusiasm.

“If I had to qualify my management, I would say that we should have got more than we did,” Bielsa said of his team, who have scored only 19 goals in 16 qualifiers – a far cry from the swashbuckling attacking teams he usually puts out.

Qualification was always likely in a system that will see six of the 10 Conmebol sides qualify automatically, with one more heading into an intercontinental play-off.

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde admitted as much, even though Uruguay have yet to book their ticket, saying: “This qualification campaign was easier than the previous ones.”

Only Venezuela – on 18 points as they travel to Buenos Aires on Sept 4 for Messi’s emotionally-charged home swansong – could delay qualification for Uruguay and Paraguay (both on 24 points). They must both lose while Venezuela pull off a shock victory.

Messi, meanwhile, has not confirmed whether he will play in the World Cup, although it seems certain, since he plies his club trade in Miami.

Even if Venezuela do not win, they could still reach the World Cup for the first time via the intercontinental play-offs. They are a point ahead of Bolivia (17 points) in the race for the play-off spot.

Only rock-bottom Chile (10 points) have already been eliminated, with Peru (12 points) needing to win their final two matches and see both Venezuela and Bolivia slump dramatically to snatch a highly unlikely place in the play-offs. AFP