With the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup—set to take place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico—reaching its midway point, the CONMEBOL qualifiers have heated up following the first of two October FIFA matchdays.
In this stage of qualification, certain teams like Argentina and Colombia are sitting comfortably, while others are in strong contention to grab one of the coveted spots. On the flip side, some nations are facing uphill battles, clinging to their slim hopes of qualification.
In this competitive environment, Artificial Intelligence has entered the conversation with a bold prediction. The AI tool “Copilot” was asked which South American nations are likely to qualify based on the current standings—and its response was clear.
Teams predicted to qualify, according to AI
“Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia will qualify directly for the 2026 World Cup. Meanwhile, Venezuela will secure a playoff spot.” This forecast takes into account the current standings in the South American Qualifiers.
Julian Alvarez of Argentina and teammates celebrate with the Copa America 2024 trophy after the FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier match between Argentina and Chile. Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images
Based on this AI prediction, the teams expected to miss out on World Cup qualification are Paraguay, Peru, and Chile.
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“These predictions are based on each team’s performance so far. However, the qualifiers are highly competitive, and anything can happen in the remaining matches,” “Copilot” added, acknowledging the unpredictable nature of the tournament.
Southamerican Qualifiers standings
With one match left to conclude the October Southamerican Qualifiers, these are the current standings:
| # | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
| 1 | Argentina | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 19 |
| 2 | Colombia | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
| 3 | Uruguay | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 15 |
| 4 | Brazil | 9 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 13 |
| 5 | Ecuador | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| 6 | Bolivia | 9 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 12 |
| 7 | Venezuela | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 11 |
| 8 | Paraguay | 9 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 10 |
| 9 | Peru | 9 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 10 | -7 | 6 |
| 10 | Chile | 9 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 5 |
