“It would be a grade 9 earthquake if we don’t qualify for the World Cup in 2026”

Every time FIFA has announced that they will increase the number of participants in a World Cup, there has been controversy. It happened when it was learned that Spain 82 would be played by 24 countries and that 32 would compete for the title in France 98. Never, however, had football been mortally wounded so many times as after the Congress held in Rwanda, where the news The main thing was the confirmation that the 2026 World Cup will host 48 teams.

One of the biggest failures in Peruvian soccer were the qualifying rounds for Germany 74. Roberto Scarone and Chicho Uribe are two names that shimmer when one reviews those painful defeats against Chile, but we almost always forget that qualifying was not automatic. Having beaten the Red, the next rival was the Soviet Union. And Leonid Brezhnev’s boys had already beaten us in 1972 during the misunderstood tour with Baroti (2-0 in Kiev), as well as winning bronze at the Olympic Games held in Munich that same year.

Even for Argentina 78 we had to play a pre-world cup in Cali, after eliminating Chile and Ecuador, which we practically passed with our eyes closed because two of three teams qualified and one of them was the then very weak Bolivia (which we beat 5-0 playing a terrible game, according to Pocho Rospigliosi in “Ovación”).

For the Cup to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, South America will have six direct places. Compared to the rest of the associations on the planet, Conmebol is the most benefited since 60% of its members will get tickets to North America. And they will have the option of adding one more country through an intercontinental play-off.

Although I am convinced that Peru cannot look down on any team (what greater proof than that still bleeding wound left by the ‘socceroos’), it would be a grade 9 earthquake if we did not qualify for the World Cup.

Since the qualifying rounds for Chile 62, when the organization practically gave us our spot by pairing us with the modest Colombia of ‘Caimán’ Sánchez (we were such favorites that we were even scheduled to play at the Arica headquarters), I don’t remember a series with so many facilities to classify. (N. de R. In round-trip duels, Peru fell 2-1 on aggregate. It was 1-0 for the coffee growers on April 30, 1961 and 1-1 in Lima, on May 7 of the same year . We were penultimate in the table of that tie. Peru lined up like this: Rigoberto Felandro; Willy Fleming, Jose Fernandez; Luis Cruzado, Juan de la Vega, Luis Calderón; Oscar Montalvo, Roberto Drago, Angel Uribe, Jose Carrasco, Oscar Huapaya. Directed by Marcos Calderón.)

Even the problems of our rivals seem to be helping us: Bolivia shows no signs of growth, Pekerman has just left Venezuela, Paraguay’s transition process is not over, Chile is still in the dark and Alfaro fled Ecuador due to lack of payments.

Peru’s great rival is still Peru. As much as the decibels have decreased, the disputes between the federation and a group of clubs are far from over. Institutional precariousness keeps the bulk of the teams in the dark; the reserve tournament is in limbo and League 2 is a huge unknown in terms of financing and competition.

Meanwhile, Juan Reynoso is scratching the pot looking for new energy for the red and white.

And in a demonstration of his particular ranking of priorities, Agustín Lozano fills his social networks with photos with Gianni Infantino.

Here we are.