The South American Qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off between Thursday, September 7, and Tuesday, September 12. Let’s introduce you to the standout players from the first and second matchdays, as selected by the OPTA editorial team.
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Brazil and Argentina Lead the Way
In the initial fixtures of the South American Qualifiers, Brazil and Argentina emerged as the dominant forces. These two teams achieved victories in both of their matches, securing the top spots in the standings with six points each.
Here’s a closer look at the standout performers from the first two matchdays, according to statistical data compiled by the OPTA editorial team.
¡El Xl ideal de las dos primeras fechas de las #EliminatoriasSudamericanas! ⭐️
Os 11 melhores das primeiras rodadas das #EliminatóriasSulAmericanas 🔝#CreeEnGrande | #AcrediteSempre
— CONMEBOL.com (@CONMEBOL) September 13, 2023
- Neymar (Brazil): Neymar scored twice and provided two assists, playing a pivotal role in Brazil’s perfect start. He also led with seven shot assists, tied with Ángel Di María, and recorded the most shots on goal (9).
- Rodrygo (Brazil): He was one of the four players to score twice during the opening days of the South American Qualifiers. Additionally, he excelled with 53 passes in the offensive third.
- Camilo Vargas (Colombia): Notably, he made seven crucial saves as the goalkeeper with a clean sheet in the first two South American Qualifiers games.
- Alexander González (Venezuela): He shone as the leader in recoveries (17) among right-backs, and he made 15 tackles during the opening matchday.
- Cristian Romero (Argentina): Among central defenders, he stood out with eight tackles and 10 duels won during the initial days of the South American Qualifiers.
- Félix Torres (Ecuador): His impressive double helped secure Ecuador’s victory against Uruguay, making him the first central defender to achieve this feat in the South American Qualifiers since 2020.
- Nicolás Tagliafico (Argentina): He was the sole left-back to score a goal and do so more than once (3) during the first two matchdays.
- Mathías Villasanti (Paraguay): Leading in entries among central midfielders with 13, he ranked second overall. Additionally, he contributed 13 recoveries.
- Nicolás de la Cruz (Uruguay): His three goal interventions were the second-best record in the opening rounds of the South American Qualifiers, with two goals and one assist.
- Lionel Messi (Argentina): Despite playing only one game, Messi was instrumental in Argentina’s victory against Ecuador, scoring a free-kick goal and leading in dribbles with eight.
- Ángel Di María (Argentina): Di María provided two crucial assists against Bolivia and shared the lead for shot assists with Neymar, tallying seven in total.
