Bolivia was beaten 3-0 by Uruguay at the Centenario stadium | VIDEO

Uruguay remained second to world champion Argentina in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup by beating Bolivia 3-0 in Montevideo on Tuesday on the sixth round, and celebrated the return of its historic scorer, Luis Suárez.

The English Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez scored two goals for La Celeste, at 15 and 71 and the remaining one was an own goal by the Bolivian Gabriel Villamil, at 39.

With this victory, Uruguay reached 13 points and was two behind Argentina, which later achieved a historic victory over Brazil 1-0 at the Maracaná and continues to lead with 15 points.

One minute after scoring his second goal against La Verde and his fifth in the tie, Darwin Núñez left the field for ‘Pistolero’ Suárez to enter and the Centenario stadium exploded with emotion.

Suárez, 36, had played his last game with the Celeste in the 2-0 victory against Ghana in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in the first round, when Uruguay was eliminated, and he was recently summoned by Marcelo Bielsa for this double date of the tie, eleven months later.

The approach of both teams was clear from the beginning: the locals with their advanced lines and the Green with a super populated midfield and only one forward, the historic scorer Marcelo Moreno Martins, in his farewell match for the Bolivian team.

Before 10 minutes Uruguay warned twice: first, a corner header from defender Ronald Araújo was just missed and then Darwin Núñez crossed a shot that grazed the post.

The light blue team looked mobile, circulating the ball with precision and seeking penetration into the last rival zone with dribbles and combinations. At 13, Federico Valverde missed it with the goal practically unguarded.

The fourth time was the charm: at 15 Araújo enabled Facundo Pellistri, who went deep like the old Uruguayan leaders and put the pass back for Darwin Núñez, who opened the scoring. It was the fourth goal in a row for the Liverpool striker, who had already scored against no less than Argentina and Brazil on the previous dates, as well as against Colombia in Barranquilla.

Bolivia could not leave its zone, and Moreno Martins was waiting upstairs, alone, for a ball to reach him, a miracle that did not occur.

Uruguay, calm with the advantage and dominance of the actions, did not accelerate. Bielsa, in contrast, did not stop walking near the demarcation line of the field, crouching from time to time, as usual.

The 55,000 spectators who populated the Centenario expected more local goals.

The second fell at 39, after a corner taken by Nicolás de la Cruz. Bolivian goalkeeper Viscarra’s clearance hit the head of his teammate Gabriel Villamil and the ball was slowly introduced into the visiting goal.

All we had to do was wait for the second half, the moment perhaps most anticipated by the local public: the return of La Celeste’s historic scorer, Luis Suárez.

– Bang, bang –

As soon as the final part began, the audience began to chant the name of ‘Pistolero’.

Suárez moved to the side of the field while his teammates played.

Another overflow by Pellistri after clearing a defender almost culminated in the third Uruguayan goal, at 50. Three minutes later, Cristian Olivera tried from outside the area: it couldn’t be either.

The match, already defined, could only be saved by Suárez’s entry, which finally occurred in the 72nd minute, immediately after Núñez’s second goal, this time with a header.

When Núñez gave way to ‘Pistolero’ the applause was double.

Suárez was active, and was about to leave his mark again after two minutes of regulation time. The crossbar prevented him from doing so.

The substitution, at the end of the match, of Moreno Martins, which meant his retirement from La Verde, was also recognized by teammates and rivals, as well as by Bielsa and the local public.

When questioned by local television at the end of the game, Suárez said that “there is Luis until he gives”, affirmed that he is assuming a new role in the national team, greeted his very probable successor, Darwin Núñez (“one of the best strikers in the world”) and congratulated Bielsa, who he said “is doing a very good job with young people.”

MATCH TIME, BOLIVIA VS. URUGUAY

• Mexico: 8:00 p.m.
• Peru, Ecuador and Colombia: 9:00 p.m.
• Venezuela, USA and Bolivia: 10:00 p.m.
• Chile, Uruguay Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil: 11:00 p.m.

WHAT CHANNEL TRANSMITS BOLIVIA VS. URUGUAY

• In Peru: DGO and Movistar Play
• In Bolivia: Tigo Sports and FBF Play
• In Uruguay: DIRECTV Sports and DGO

BOLIVIA CALLED LIST

• Goalkeepers: Carlos Lampe, Guillermo Viscarra and Braulio Uraezaña.
• Defenders: Luis Haquín, Diego Medina, Carlos Roca, Jairo Quinteros, Jesús Sagreso, Héctor Cuellar, Marcelo Suárez and José Sagredo.
• Midfielders: Rodrigo Ramallo, Ramiro Vaca, Leonel Justiniano, Gabriel Villamil, Danny Bejarano, Boris Céspedes, Miguel Terceros, Jaime Arrascaita and Moisés Villaroel.
• Forwards: Marcelo Martins, Jaume Cuéllar, Henry Vaca, Bruno Miranda, Jeyson Chura and Lucas Chávez.

POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS, BOLIVIA VS. URUGUAY

Bolivia: Guillermo Viscarra, Diego Bejarano, Jairo Quinteros, Adriano Jusino, José Sagredo, Luis Haquín, Gabriel Villamil, Luciano Ursino, Jaime Arrascaita, Moisés Villarroel, Victor Abrego, Marcelo Moreno Martins

Uruguay: S. Rochet; R. Araujo, J. Giménez, S. Cáceres and M. Olivera; M. Ugarte, F. Valverde, N. De la Cruz; F. Pellistri, D. Núñez and M. Araújo.

Bolvia took oxygen at the 3,600 meters of altitude in La Paz to reach the next World Cup, since the 2-0 victory against Peru on Thursday came when the team most needed to regain hope in the South American qualifier.

Four defeats in a row, in the first four dates, plunged La Verde into unrest and until that moment in last place in the playoffs, without points, 11 goals against and two in favor.

They scored two wins at the start: 5-1 against Brazil in Belem and 3-0 against Argentina in La Paz. Then at home they lost 2-1 against Ecuador and 1-0 against Paraguay in Asunción.

Those results took their toll on Argentine coach Gustavo Costas, who was replaced by Brazilian Zago. Even the main star of the Green, the historic forward Marcelo Martins, announced his retirement, although after the match against Peru he left open the possibility of continuing to defend it.

The Inca team arrived and the Bolivians removed a thorn from their hearts, obtaining their first victory and warning the four winds that those who fight are not dead.

Zago himself had highlighted that the match against Peru was the “match of the year”.

Bolivia has not qualified for a World Cup since the United States in 1994, when it participated under the guidance of Spanish coach Xabier Azkargorta, who had in his hands a successful generation made up of Marco ‘Diablo’ Etcheverry, Erwin ‘Platiní’ Sánchez, Milton Melgar and Julio César Baldivieso.