Sept. 5 (UPI) -- The South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup reached their penultimate round of matches Thursday. Six countries have qualified, leaving one final spot up for grabs.
Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia and Paraguay secured direct berths in the tournament, led by star players including Lionel Messi, Neymar, Federico Valverde and James Rodríguez.
The round was marked by celebrations in the countries that qualified and by Lionel Messi's emotional farewell before his home crowd.
Defending champion Argentina tops the list of qualifiers. Brazil, led by Neymar, maintained its historic dominance, while Uruguay clinched its spot with help from talents like Federico Valverde.
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