The national team is set to meet Paraguay as it chases its first win under Eduardo Berizzo, part of a broader effort to build momentum ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Chile’s senior side is already lining up preparations for the next World Cup cycle, with the tournament set to be hosted by Canada, the United States, and Mexico. On Monday the 27th, Chile will face Paraguay in a friendly that will take place at the Monumental Stadium, a venue steeped in history for the home side.
Against the Albirroja, the Creole squad aims to put behind it a run of disappointing results that stretches back more than a year. The last time Chile celebrated a win was February 1, 2022, when it edged Bolivia 3-2 at the Hernando Siles in La Paz. Since then, the team has suffered seven losses and two draws, including matches against Qatar at the Franz Horr Stadium in Vienna and Slovakia at the NFŠ Stadium in Bratislava.
La Roja’s path to the World Cup calendar keeps moving forward
The team, nicknamed the “Everyone’s Team,” will once again play on home soil for the first time since the final round of South American qualifiers, where a 0-2 defeat to Uruguay at San Carlos de Apoquindo helped seal their exit from play, reshaping expectations for the campaign in the Middle East region associated with Argentina.
Records show Chile hasn’t hosted a match at the Macul fortress since September 2, 2021, when Brazil handed them a 0-1 defeat under the guidance of Martin Lasarte.
The clash also marks the reunion of Marcelo Bielsa’s former assistant with the Paraguayan side, as Bielsa returns to front-line duties following the abrupt departure of Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio in 2019. The current leadership under Guillermo Barros Schelotto has overseen a campaign tally of seven wins, 13 draws, and 11 losses, yielding an overall effectiveness of 36.57 percent.
The most recent meeting between Chile and Paraguay occurred on November 11, 2021, a 1-0 Chilean victory at Defensores del Chaco thanks to a goal by Alexis Sanchez. For the upcoming clash, the Chilean coach called up 20 players active abroad and six from domestic clubs.
Berizzo’s record with La Roja
Goalkeepers: Claudio Bravo (Real Betis), Gabriel Arias (Racing Club), and Brian Cortés ( Colo Colo).
Defenders: Matías Catalán (Workshops), Guillermo Soto (Hurricane), Paul Díaz (River Plate), Benjamín Kuscevic (Coritiba), Guillermo Maripán (AS Monaco), Gary Medell (Bologna), Juan Delgado (Pacos de Ferreira), Nayel Mehssatou (Kortrijk), Gabriel Suazo (Toulouse), and Eugenio Mena (Catholic University).
Mids: Viktor Felipe Méndez (CSKA Moscow), Marcelino Núñez (Norwich City), Diego Valdés (America), Arturo Vidal (Flamingo), Stephen Pavez (Colo Colo), and Darío Osorio (University of 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).
Paraguay’s selections:
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CHILE:
To confirm.
PARAGUAY:
To confirm.
Attribution: Goal