The dream of the Bolivia national team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup faded after a 2-1 defeat against Iraq in the intercontinental playoff. The match took place at the BBVA Stadium in Monterrey, where the Bolivian team fought hard but ultimately could not advance.
Óscar Villegas, Bolivia’s head coach, expressed his disappointment in the post-match press conference. “In football, justice often does not exist. The reality is that we conceded two goals and only scored one. We knew that Iraq could take advantage of their height and aerial play,” the coach stated. Villegas also acknowledged the good performance of the opposing team: “They executed their game plan well, and that is to their credit.” He thanked the support received in Mexico and wished success to the teams that will participate in the World Cup. “We would have liked to play, but now we hope that they take notice of our players,” he added.
Bolivia fielded players such as Guillermo Viscarra and Diego Medina, while Iraq featured Ahmed Basil and other notable footballers. For more details on this matchday, you can read about the friendly match between Peru and Honduras here.
