Bolivia’s 2026 World Cup squad comes with an added motivation as they enter the inter-confederation play-offs this summer, aiming for a return to the tournament for the first time since 1994 — the last edition held in the United States.

If the Verde secure qualification in March, they will hope to leave a stronger mark at the 2026 World Cup than Marco Etcheverry, whose infamous red card after handling the ball twice overshadowed Bolivia’s last appearance. Etcheverry later became a key figure in Major League Soccer’s formative years.

Bolivia will compete in Path 2, facing Suriname first, with the winner advancing to a final against Iraq. The eventual victor will go on to meet France — one of the tournament favourites — in their second group stage match. Group I also includes Senegal and Norway.

Since their third World Cup appearance in 1994, Bolivia have missed seven consecutive tournaments. Their previous participations in 1930, 1950, and 1994 all ended without a single win or progression beyond the group stage.

In CONMEBOL qualifying, Bolivia finished seventh, eight points behind Paraguay — who claimed the final qualification spot — and 18 points adrift of top-placed world champions Argentina.

Head coach Oscar Villegas has selected a squad dominated by domestic league players. Recent Bolivian champions Bolivar and Always Ready contribute the largest contingents to the roster.

Villegas has also included names playing across Ecuador, Uruguay, Peru, Brazil, as well as from host nations Mexico and Canada, and professionals based in South Korea, North Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Veteran goalkeeper Carlos Lampe is the only player with more than 55 international caps.

Goalkeepers: Carlos Lampe (Bolivar), Geronimo Govea (Montevideo Wanderers), Guillermo Viscarra (Alianza Lima)

Defenders: Marcelo Torrez (Santos), Ian Rodriguez (Jorge Wilstermann), Luis Haquin (Al-Tai), Richet Gomez (Always Ready), Lucas Macazaga (Leganes), Roberto Fernandez (Akron Tolyatti), Diego Medina (CSKA Sofia), Yomar Rocha (Akron Tolyatti), Efrain Morales (CF Montreal), Diego Arroyo (Shakhtar Donetsk), Leonardo Zabala (Cancun), Dieguito Rodriguez (Always Ready)

Midfielders: Hector Cuellar (Always Ready), Moises Villarroel (Blooming), Jesus Maraude (Always Ready), Robson Matheus (Bolivar), Ervin Vaca (Bolivar), Carlos Melgar (Bolivar), Carlos Collazo (Always Ready), Ramiro Vaca (Wydad Casablanca), Gabriel Villamil (LDU Quito), Miguel Terceros (Santos)

Forwards: Victor Abrego (The Strongest), Fernando Nava (Always Ready), Guilmar Centella (Blooming), Juan Godoy (Always Ready), Nabil Nacif (Oriente Petrolero), Enzo Monteiro (Chungbuk Cheongju), Moises Paniagua (Wydad Casablanca)

March 26, 2026: Bolivia v Suriname, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico

September 9, 2025: Bolivia 1-0 Brazil, Estadio Municipal de El Alto, El Alto, Bolivia

September 4: Colombia 3-0 Bolivia, Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Melendez, Barranquilla, Colombia

June 10: Bolivia 2-0 Chile, Estadio Municipal de El Alto, El Alto, Bolivia

June 6: Venezuela 2-0 Bolivia, Estadio Monumental, Maturin, Venezuela

March 25: Bolivia 0-0 Uruguay, Estadio Municipal de El Alto, El Alto, Bolivia

March 20: Peru 3-1 Bolivia, Estadio Lima, Lima, Peru

Oscar Villegas, Bolivia’s head coach, was an active professional in 1994 but never earned a senior international cap. Having spent his entire playing career in Bolivia, he has achieved greater recognition as a manager.

Villegas began his coaching career at Aurora in Cochabamba in 2005. He has since held roles within the Bolivian national setup and at Bolivar, but his enduring connection has been with Always Ready.

The former striker from Cochabamba, who also represented San Jose and Bolivar, took charge of various teams at Always Ready starting in 2022 during his third spell with the club. He assumed the national team’s head coach role two years ago.

At 21, attacking midfielder Miguelito has already become a standout figure for Bolivia. A native of Santa Cruz, he joined Santos’ youth academy in Brazil as a child and now features for their senior side alongside Neymar.

After a productive loan spell with America Mineiro in Brazil’s second division last year, where he scored seven goals, Miguelito’s prominence has grown further on the international stage.

He has earned 30 caps for Bolivia and scored seven times in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers — a tally bettered only by Lionel Messi and matched by Bayern Munich and Colombia winger Luis Diaz.