The 2026 World Cup Qualifiers wrapped up Tuesday, September 9, with Colombia stealing the spotlight in a wild 6-3 victory over Venezuela on the road. The night belonged to Luis Suarez, who delivered the first four-goal performance of his professional career, dashing Venezuela’s hopes of reaching a World Cup for the first time.
The result, combined with Bolivia’s 1-0 win over Brazil, officially eliminated Venezuela from contention for the intercontinental playoff. Fernando Batista’s squad was left heartbroken, falling just short of their historic goal.
The match opened in thrilling fashion. Venezuela struck first just three minutes in through Telasco Segovia, only for Colombia’s Yerry Mina to level the score seven minutes later. Josef Martinez quickly restored Venezuela’s lead in the 12th minute, but Suárez equalized before halftime to kick off his remarkable night.
In the second half, Suarez exploded with three straight goals, recording his first career poker and putting Colombia firmly in control. Salomon Rondon briefly cut the deficit for Venezuela, but Jhon Cordoba added a late strike to seal the 6-3 win and cement Colombia’s strong finish to qualifying.