Argentina qualify for World Cup but Uruguay in danger after defeat in Bolivia
Argentina secured a place at next year’s World Cup after a 0-0 home draw against Brazil, giving Lionel Messi one more shot at winning the only major trophy missing in his career.
Second-placed Argentina qualified after Chile lost 2-0 at home to third-placed Ecuador. The two-times world champions Uruguay were beaten 3-0 in Bolivia and are out of the qualifying positions, sitting seventh.
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Uruguay are one point off fourth place with four matches remaining. The top four teams earn direct entry to the World Cup and the fifth-placed side go into an intercontinental play-off.
Brazil had already qualified for Qatar 2022 and there were few opportunities in a tense match against Argentina in San Juan marked by Messi’s low-key performance and Neymar’s absence because of injury. The goalkeepers Emiliano Martínez and Alisson were virtual spectators for most of the game.
The most controversial moment was in the 35th minute when Raphinha was hit by Nicolás Otamendi’s elbow and started bleeding. The Brazilian needed five stitches during half-time.
The Uruguayan referee Andrés Cunha appeared to receive messages from his colleagues in the VAR cabin but took no action, infuriating the normally placid Brazil coach, Tite.
✈️ Argentina qualify for Qatar 2022
🏆 Ecuador edge closer

🇧🇴 Bolivia 3-0 Uruguay 🇺🇾
🇻🇪 Venezuela 1-2 Peru 🇵🇪
🇨🇴 Colombia 0-0 Paraguay 🇵🇾
🇦🇷 Argentina 0-0 Brazil 🇧🇷
🇨🇱 Chile 0-2 Ecuador 🇪🇨

📊 This is how things stand in South America after final #WorldCup qualifiers for 2021 👇 pic.twitter.com/bxN9Ecz4Vq
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 17, 2021
“Cunha is an extraordinary referee,” Tite said, his voice rising. “Refereeing demands a team and those who were in the VAR, it’s impossible, and I am going to repeat this, it is impossible not to see Otamendi’s elbow on Raphinha. A high-quality VAR official cannot work this way. It’s inconceivable. Inconceivable is not the word I want to use. I am using that word because I am polite.”
Raphinha needed stitches to this mouth wound. Photograph: Diaesportivo/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock
Messi, who played the entire match after recovering from a knee injury, had only one opportunity from the edge of the box near the final whistle, easily saved by Alisson.
Argentina’s manager, Lionel Scaloni, saluted his players, who four months ago won the Copa América, their first major trophy in 28 years. “This was a magnificent year,” he said. “Winning the Copa, qualifying for the World Cup unbeaten. It was a dream.”
Uruguay are in danger of missing their first World Cup since 2006. Bolivia opened the scoring in the 30th minute when the goalkeeper Fernando Muslera failed to hold Juan Carlos Arce’s cross. Marcelo Martins got the second in the altitude of La Paz with a header and Arce scored in the 79th minute with another header. It could have been worse for Uruguay had Bolivia not missed a penalty in the second half.
Uruguay’s coach, Óscar Tabárez, said he was not “throwing in the towel”. The veteran coach, who in his latest spell has reached the 2010 World Cup semi-finals and won the 2011 Copa América, said: “I don’t know who can ask me to do that [resign] after this time at work.”
Despair for Uruguay’s Luis Suárez during the defeat in Bolivia. Photograph: Juan Karita/AP
Peru overtook Uruguay after a 2-1 win at Venezuela, moving Ricardo Gareca’s team to 17 points along with Colombia, who drew 0-0 with Paraguay.