The Stakes are High in Monterrey

Bolivia and Suriname meet today in a pivotal match in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off Tournament, with a spot in the expanded tournament on the line. The game will be played at BBVA Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico, kicking off at 6:00 PM ET.

Match Details and Viewing Options

The match can be seen through Dsports (South America), TUDN and ViX (Mexico) and Fox Sports (United States). Here’s a breakdown of kickoff times by region:

• 19:00: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay
• 18:00: Bolivia and Venezuela
• 17:00: Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and the United States (East-EST)
• 16:00: Mexico and the United States (Central-CST)
• 3:00 PM: United States (Mountain-MST)
• 2:00 PM: United States (Pacific-PST)

Bolivia’s World Cup Dream

Bolivia enters the match as the favorite, but their path to qualification hasn’t been without inconsistency. They finished seventh in CONMEBOL qualifying, with six wins, two draws, and ten losses. A recent 3-0 friendly win over Trinidad and Tobago offers a boost in confidence, but questions remain about their consistency.

Suriname’s Unexpected Journey

Suriname has been a surprise package in the qualifying process, advancing after overcoming teams like Guatemala and El Salvador to finish second in Group A of CONCACAF with 9 points. Despite a recent 3-1 loss to Guatemala, they’ve demonstrated resilience and an ability to compete under pressure.

Players to Watch

For Bolivia, all eyes will be on Rafael Vaca, the midfielder from Wydad Casablanca. He brings creativity and attacking threat to the team. Suriname will glance to Leeds United striker Joël Piroe to lead their attack.

Match Officials

The match will be officiated by:

• Referee: Alireza Faghani (Australia)
• Assistant 1: George Lakrindis (Australia)
• Assistant 2: James Lindsay (Australia)
• Fourth Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
• AVAR: Ivan Bebek (Croatia)

Team Lineups

Bolivia: Guillermo Viscarra; Diego Medina, Luis Haquín, Marcelo Torrez, Roberto Carlos Fernández; Gabriel Villamíl, Robson Matheus; Miguel Terceros, Ramiro Vaca, Fernando Nava; Enzo Monteiro. DT: Oscar Villegas.

Suriname: Etienne Vaessen; Liam van Gelderen, Myenty Abena, Melayro Bogarde, Shaquille Pinas; Dion Malone, Kenneth Paal, Denzel Jubitana; Gyrano Kerk, Sheraldo Becker and Joël Piroe. DT: Henk ten Cate.