2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)

The South American section of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification acted as qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia, for national teams which are members of the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL). A total of 4.5 slots (4 direct slots and 1 inter-confederation play-off slot) in the final tournament were available for CONMEBOL teams.[1]

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
Tournament details
Dates8 October 2015 – 10 October 2017
Teams10 (from 1 confederation)
Tournament statistics
Matches played90
Goals scored242 (2.69 per match)
Attendance3,365,010 (37,389 per match)
Top scorer(s)Uruguay Edinson Cavani
(10 goals)
2014
2022

Two-time defending Copa América champions Chile did not qualify for 2018 FIFA World Cup after a 3–0 loss to Brazil on the final day of qualifying campaign, resulting in a sixth-place finish. As a result, following intercontinental play-offs against the record five-time OFC Nations Cup champions New Zealand, Peru qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1982.

Format

The qualification structure was the same as for the previous five tournaments. The ten teams played in a league of home-and-away round-robin matches. The top four teams qualified for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and the fifth-placed team advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.

Unlike previous qualifying tournaments where the fixtures were pre-determined, the fixtures were determined by draw, which was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (UTC+3), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg, Russia.[2]

For scheduling reasons, Argentina and Brazil were automatically positioned as Teams 4 and 5 respectively to ensure that no team has to play both of them on any double matchday.[3][4] The remaining eight teams were drawn into one of the remaining eight positions from Teams 1 to 10 (except 4 and 5).

Entrants

All ten national teams from CONMEBOL entered qualification.[5]

Note: Bolded teams qualified for the World Cup. Peru advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs.

Draw
position[6]
TeamFIFA ranking
at start of event[7]
1  Colombia5
2  Chile9
3  Paraguay61
4  Argentina1
5  Brazil7
6  Ecuador31
7  Venezuela69
8  Bolivia67
9  Peru50
10  Uruguay20

Schedule

There were a total of 18 matchdays: four in 2015, eight in 2016, and six in 2017.[8]

2015
MatchdayDate
Matchday 15–13 October 2015
Matchday 2
Matchday 39–17 November 2015
Matchday 4
2016
MatchdayDate
Matchday 521–29 March 2016
Matchday 6
Matchday 729 August – 6 September 2016
Matchday 8
Matchday 93–11 October 2016
Matchday 10
Matchday 117–15 November 2016
Matchday 12
2017
MatchdayDate
Matchday 1320–28 March 2017
Matchday 14
Matchday 1528 August – 5 September 2017
Matchday 16
Matchday 172–10 October 2017
Matchday 18

The inter-confederation play-offs were scheduled to be played between 6–14 November 2017.[9]

The fixtures for CONMEBOL qualification were decided based on the draw positions, as follows:

MatchdayFixtures
Matchday 11 v 9, 2 v 5, 4 v 6, 7 v 3, 8 v 10
Matchday 23 v 4, 5 v 7, 6 v 8, 9 v 2, 10 v 1
Matchday 32 v 1, 4 v 5, 6 v 10, 8 v 7, 9 v 3
Matchday 41 v 4, 3 v 8, 5 v 9, 7 v 6, 10 v 2
Matchday 52 v 4, 5 v 10, 6 v 3, 8 v 1, 9 v 7
Matchday 61 v 6, 3 v 5, 4 v 8, 7 v 2, 10 v 9
Matchday 71 v 7, 3 v 2, 4 v 10, 6 v 5, 8 v 9
Matchday 82 v 8, 5 v 1, 7 v 4, 9 v 6, 10 v 3
Matchday 93 v 1, 5 v 8, 6 v 2, 9 v 4, 10 v 7
MatchdayFixtures
Matchday 101 v 10, 2 v 9, 4 v 3, 7 v 5, 8 v 6
Matchday 111 v 2, 3 v 9, 5 v 4, 7 v 8, 10 v 6
Matchday 122 v 10, 4 v 1, 6 v 7, 8 v 3, 9 v 5
Matchday 131 v 8, 3 v 6, 4 v 2, 7 v 9, 10 v 5
Matchday 142 v 7, 5 v 3, 6 v 1, 8 v 4, 9 v 10
Matchday 152 v 3, 5 v 6, 7 v 1, 9 v 8, 10 v 4
Matchday 161 v 5, 3 v 10, 4 v 7, 6 v 9, 8 v 2
Matchday 171 v 3, 2 v 6, 4 v 9, 7 v 10, 8 v 5
Matchday 183 v 7, 5 v 2, 6 v 4, 9 v 1, 10 v 8

Standings

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1  Brazil1812514111+30412018 FIFA World Cup2–23–02–13–03–03–02–05–03–1
2  Uruguay189453220+12311–40–03–01–03–04–02–14–23–0
3  Argentina187741916+3281–11–03–00–01–00–10–22–01–1
4  Colombia187652119+2271–12–20–12–00–01–23–11–02–0
5  Peru187562726+126Inter-confederation play-offs0–22–12–21–13–41–02–12–12–2
6  Chile188282627−1262–03–11–21–12–10–32–13–03–1
7  Paraguay187381925−6242–21–20–00–11–42–12–12–10–1
8  Ecuador1862102629−3200–32–11–30–21–23–02–22–03–0
9  Bolivia1842121638−22140–00–22–02–30–31–01–02–24–2
10  Venezuela1826101935−16120–20–02–20–02–21–40–11–35–0
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Qualification tiebreakers

Matches

Matchday 1

Bolivia  0–2  Uruguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 36,000

Colombia  2–0  Peru
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 44,000

Venezuela  0–1  Paraguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Estadio Cachamay, Ciudad Guayana
Attendance: 38,618

Chile  2–0  Brazil
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)

Argentina  0–2  Ecuador
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 40,000

Matchday 2

Ecuador  2–0  Bolivia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 27,333
Referee: Sandro Ricci (Brazil)

Uruguay  3–0  Colombia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Attendance: 39,000
Referee: Héber Lopes (Brazil)

Paraguay  0–0  Argentina
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 28,889

Brazil  3–1  Venezuela
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 48,970

Peru  3–4  Chile
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 39,180

Matchday 3

Bolivia  4–2  Venezuela
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 30,923

Ecuador  2–1  Uruguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 32,650

Chile  1–1  Colombia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)

Argentina  1–1  Brazil
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 53,000

Peru  1–0  Paraguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 26,000

Matchday 4

Colombia  0–1  Argentina
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 46,000
Referee: Carlos Vera (Ecuador)

Venezuela  1–3  Ecuador
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Estadio Cachamay, Ciudad Guayana
Attendance: 31,659
Referee: Gery Vargas (Bolivia)

Paraguay  2–1  Bolivia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 35,850

Uruguay  3–0  Chile
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Attendance: 58,000

Brazil  3–0  Peru
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 45,000

Matchday 5

Bolivia  2–3  Colombia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 26,765

Ecuador  2–2  Paraguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 34,817

Chile  1–2  Argentina
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 44,536
Referee: Héber Lopes (Brazil)

Peru  2–2  Venezuela
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 35,459

Brazil  2–2  Uruguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 45,010

Matchday 6

Colombia  3–1  Ecuador
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 38,400
Referee: Enrique Osses (Chile)

Uruguay  1–0  Peru
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Attendance: 55,000

Venezuela  1–4  Chile
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 24,101
Referee: Diego Haro (Peru)

Argentina  2–0  Bolivia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 53,000

Paraguay  2–2  Brazil
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 34,457

Matchday 7

Bolivia  0–3
Awarded[note 2]
 Peru
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 26,765

Colombia  2–0  Venezuela
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 37,099

Ecuador  0–3  Brazil
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 37,887

Argentina  1–0  Uruguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 44,597

Paraguay  2–1  Chile
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 25,000

Matchday 8

Uruguay  4–0  Paraguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Attendance: 39,400

Chile  3–0
Awarded[note 3]
 Bolivia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)

Venezuela  2–2  Argentina
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 42,000

Brazil  2–1  Colombia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 36,609

Peru  2–1  Ecuador
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 30,000

Matchday 9

Ecuador  3–0  Chile
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 30,000

Uruguay  3–0  Venezuela
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Attendance: 44,880

Paraguay  0–1  Colombia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 33,000

Brazil  5–0  Bolivia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 40,013
Referee: Wilson Lamouroux (Colombia)

Peru  2–2  Argentina
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 39,700
Referee: Sandro Ricci (Brazil)

Matchday 10

Bolivia  2–2  Ecuador
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 18,033
Referee: Mario Díaz de Vivar (Paraguay)

Colombia  2–2  Uruguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 47,000

Argentina  0–1  Paraguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 51,200

Chile  2–1  Peru
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)

Venezuela  0–2  Brazil
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 42,700

Matchday 11

Colombia  0–0  Chile
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 45,916

Uruguay  2–1  Ecuador
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Attendance: 54,868

Paraguay  1–4  Peru
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 36,000

Brazil  3–0  Argentina
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Mineirão, Belo Horizonte
Attendance: 53,490

Venezuela  5–0  Bolivia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 49,750

Matchday 12

Bolivia  1–0  Paraguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 13,285
Referee: Christian Ferreyra (Uruguay)

Ecuador  3–0  Venezuela
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 28,000
Referee: Roberto Tobar (Chile)

Argentina  3–0  Colombia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 24,000

Chile  3–1  Uruguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)

Peru  0–2  Brazil
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 38,700

Matchday 13

Colombia  1–0  Bolivia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 39,000

Paraguay  2–1  Ecuador
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 16,287

Uruguay  1–4  Brazil
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Attendance: 55,676

Argentina  1–0  Chile
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 55,000
Referee: Sandro Ricci (Brazil)

Venezuela  2–2  Peru
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 35,920

Matchday 14

Bolivia  2–0  Argentina
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 29,943

Ecuador  0–2  Colombia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 35,538

Chile  3–1  Venezuela
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)

Brazil  3–0  Paraguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Arena Corinthians, São Paulo
Attendance: 45,000

Peru  2–1  Uruguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 36,200

Matchday 15

Venezuela  0–0  Colombia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 38,479

Chile  0–3  Paraguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)

Uruguay  0–0  Argentina
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Attendance: 55,000

Brazil  2–0  Ecuador
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Arena do Grêmio, Porto Alegre
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Mario Díaz de Vivar (Paraguay)

Peru  2–1  Bolivia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 60,000

Matchday 16

Bolivia  1–0  Chile
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 31,555

Colombia  1–1  Brazil
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 46,500

Ecuador  1–2  Peru
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 35,000

Argentina  1–1  Venezuela
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 60,000
Referee: Roberto Tobar (Chile)

Paraguay  1–2  Uruguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Sandro Ricci (Brazil)

Matchday 17

Bolivia  0–0  Brazil
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 34,725

Venezuela  0–0  Uruguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 32,100

Argentina  0–0  Peru
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
La Bombonera, Buenos Aires
Attendance: 47,960

Chile  2–1  Ecuador
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Sandro Ricci (Brazil)

Colombia  1–2  Paraguay
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 47,000

Matchday 18

Brazil  3–0  Chile
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Allianz Parque, São Paulo
Attendance: 46,008

Ecuador  1–3  Argentina
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 29,000

Paraguay  0–1  Venezuela
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 38,786

Peru  1–1  Colombia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Attendance: 39,637
Referee: Sandro Ricci (Brazil)

Uruguay  4–2  Bolivia
Report (FIFA)
Report (CONMEBOL)
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo
Attendance: 60,000

Inter-confederation play-offs

The draw for the inter-confederation play-offs was held as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Preliminary Draw on 25 July 2015, starting 18:00 MSK (UTC+3), at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, Saint Petersburg.[3] The fifth-placed team from CONMEBOL was drawn against the first-placed team from OFC, with the CONMEBOL team hosting the second leg.[16]

Team 1Agg.Tooltip Aggregate scoreTeam 21st leg2nd leg
New Zealand  0–2  Peru0–00–2

Qualified teams

The following five teams from CONMEBOL qualified for the final tournament.

TeamQualified asQualified onPrevious appearances in FIFA World Cup1
 BrazilWinners28 March 201720 (all) (1930, 1934, 1938, 1950, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)
 UruguayRunners-up10 October 201712 (1930, 1950, 1954, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1986, 1990, 2002, 2010, 2014)
 ArgentinaThird place10 October 201716 (1930, 1934, 1958, 1962, 1966, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014)
 ColombiaFourth place10 October 20175 (1962, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2014)
 PeruOFC v CONMEBOL play-off winners15 November 20174 (1930, 1970, 1978, 1982)
1 Bold indicates champions for that year. Italic indicates hosts for that year.

Goalscorers

There were 242 goals scored in 90 matches, for an average of 2.69 goals per match.

10 goals

7 goals

6 goals

5 goals

4 goals

3 goals

2 goals

1 goal

1 own goal

2 own goals

Notes

References

External links