The Chile national team is preparing to face Paraguay while aiming for the first win in Eduardo Berizzo’s tenure as they eye World Cup qualification paths for 2026.
The Chilean side has begun its buildup for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico. On Monday the 27th, the team led by Eduardo Berizzo will meet Paraguay in a friendly match scheduled at the Monumental Stadium.
Against Paraguay, La Roja hopes to move past a difficult run that has seen them go more than a year without a win, last triumphing against Bolivia in La Paz (2-3) on February 1, 2022. Since then, they have suffered seven defeats and two draws, including losses to Qatar at the Franz Horr Stadium in Vienna and to Slovakia at the NFŠ Stadium in Bratislava.
La Roja’s path toward the World Cup calendar
La Roja will play on home soil for the first time since the final round of South American qualifying, where they were defeated by Uruguay 0-2 at San Carlos de Apoquindo, a result that sealed their fate in a campaign that featured notable moments as they chased a spot in Qatar. The team has not hosted a match at Macul since September 2, 2021, a 0-1 loss to Brazil under the guidance of Martín Lasarte.
This match also marks the reunion of Marcelo Bielsa’s former assistant with The Guarani, resuming a lead role since 2019 after the surprising resignation of Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio. Currently, Bielsa is working alongside Guillermo Barros Schelotto, with a record of seven wins, 13 draws, and 11 losses in his time with the team, yielding an effectiveness around the mid-30s percentage range.
The most recent meeting between the teams dates to November 11, 2021, when Chile won 0-1 at Defensores del Chaco thanks to a goal by Alexis Sánchez. For that clash, the Chilean coach brought in 20 players active abroad and six from the domestic league.
Berizzo’s numbers with La Roja
Goalkeepers: Claudio Bravo (Real Betis), Gabriel Arias (Racing Club), and Brian Cortés (Colo Colo).
Defenders: Matías Catalán (Workshops), Guillermo Soto (Huracán), Paulo Díaz (River Plate), Benjamín Kuscevic (Coritiba), Guillermo Maripán (AS Monaco), Gary Medel (Bologna), Juan Delgado (Pacos de Ferreira), Nayel Mehssatou (Kortrijk), Gabriel Suazo (Toulouse), and Eugenio Mena (Catholic University).
Midfielders: Víctor Felipe Méndez (CSKA Moscow), Marcelino Núñez (Norwich City), Diego Valdés (América), Arturo Vidal (a club in discussion), Stephen Pavez (Colo Colo), and Darío Osorio (Universidad de Chile).
Forwards: Ben Brereton Díaz (Blackburn Rovers), Víctor Davila (León), Jean Meneses (Toluca), Diego Rubio (Colorado Rapids), Alexis Sánchez (Olympique de Marseille), Bruno Barticciotto (Palestino), and Alexander Aravena (Catholic University).
Regarding Paraguay, preparations continue as both teams look to sharpen their form ahead of the upcoming qualifiers.