The 2026World 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.
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Colombia crushed Venezuela 6-3 at the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers and you lived every moment of this game here.
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END OF THE GAME! (3-6)
The match ended with Colombia cruising past Venezuela in a 6-3 victory.
Telasco Segovia scores the first goal of the game!!
Telasco Segovia abrió el marcador en el duelo de las eliminatorias de la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026 entre Venezuela y Colombia.
El jugador de la Vinotinto convirtió el primer gol del encuentro y dio ventaja a la selección nacional en un partido clave rumbo a la clasificación. pic.twitter.com/jJGtRwIg9n
Venezuela and Colombia have kicked off the Matchday 18 of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers!
Players are on the field!
Players from both countries are on the field for the national anthems. Everything is ready for the start of the match.
Track record between Venezuela and Colombia
The head-to-head record between the two teams is heavily tilted in Colombia’s favor. Out of 49 meetings, Colombia have won 24, Venezuela have claimed 7 victories, and the sides have drawn 18 times.
The last match between the two teams took place in September 2023 during the first matchday of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, with Colombia winning 1-0 in Venezuela.
Kevin Mier; Daniel Muñoz, Davinson Sanchez, Yerry Mina, Alvaro Angulo; Jefferson Lerma, Richard Rios; Kevin Castaño, James Rodriguez, Luis Diaz; Luis Suarez.
Rafael Romo; Jon Aramburu, Nahuel Ferraresi, Wilker Angel, Miguel Navarro; Jose Martinez, Eduard Bello, Yeferson Soteldo, Telasco Segovia; Josef Martinez, Salomon Rondon.
𝐗𝐈 𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 🇻🇪
Los elegidos para enfrentar a Colombia en nuestra 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐀.
Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio will officiate today's clash between Venezuela and Colombia. This is the third time Sampaio has officiated a match between the two teams; the most recent occurred during the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers, when Colombia won 1-0 in Venezuela.
The full officiating team for today's game:
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (BRA)
Assistant Referee 1: Bruno Pires (BRA)
Assistant Referee 2: Bruno Boschilia (BRA)
Fourth Official: Bruno Arleu (BRA)
VAR: Wagner Reway (BRA)
Kick off time and where to watch
The clash between Venezuela and Colombia for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers will kick off at 7:30 PM (ET).
Gianni Taina is a bilingual journalist, fluent in English and Spanish, with a specialization in soccer, NBA, and tennis. He began his professional career in 2020 with Mundo Deportivo US, where he first established himself as a writer. Throughout his career, Gianni has covered major sports events such as the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the NBA Finals, and Grand Slam tournaments like the French Open. His ability to report on real-time events and perform well under pressure has made him a valuable member of a top-tier team of journalists. In 2024, he joined Bolavip US, bringing his expertise in soccer, NBA, and tennis to deliver original content while providing live coverage of important events.
