El Alto (Bolivia), June 11 (IANS) Ricardo Gareca resigned as Chile’s head coach after the team’s 2-0 away loss to Bolivia on Tuesday, a result that ended the team’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Goals from Miguel Terceros and Enzo Monteiro in El Alto handed Chile its 10th defeat of the South American qualifying tournament. The team sits last in the 10-nation standings and is now mathematically out of reach of a playoff spot.
“We made a decision with the coaching staff and we told them [the players] that we want to decompress the situation,” Gareca told a post-match news conference at the Municipal Stadium in El Alto.
“We didn’t deliver results. Chile is in a situation that no one would have wanted, and from a sporting perspective, with all the experience and career I have, it’s a hard knock. I have to get back on my feet, just as Chile must get back on its feet in the future.”
Gareca led Chile to just one victory in 13 matches, having taken charge of the Roja in January 2024.
After winning back-to-back Copa America titles in 2015 and 2016, Chile will now miss the World Cup for the third consecutive time, having also failed to qualify in 2018 and 2022.
Tuesday’s result left Bolivia with 17 points and still in contention with two qualifiers remaining. Oscar Villegas’ men will face Colombia and Brazil in September as it seeks its first World Cup berth since 1994.
Chile must now turn its attention to the final qualifying matches, scheduled for September. In that double date, the national team will face Brazil away and then face Uruguay to conclude their 2026 qualifying campaign.
–IANS
bc/