La Verde breathes a sigh of relief and is already thinking about Iraq
This Thursday, the Bolivian National Team achieved what many longed for: keeping alive the dream of reaching the 2026 World Cup. It was a hard-fought victory against Suriname at the BBVA stadium in Monterrey, but in the end, the victory came. Now, the objective is clearer: the grand final of the playoff against Iraq next Tuesday.
Captain Luis Haquín could not hide his emotion at the end of the match. His words were for an entire country.
“It is a feeling of great pride, I believe that this team represented an entire country. 12, 13 million Bolivians who were with us… today we gave a message to our country that despite any adversity we have to be firm in our objectives,”
said Haquín, dedicating the victory to the people.
A comeback for history
At times, elimination seemed like a real possibility. However, the goals of Moisés Paniagua and Miguel Terceros changed history and restored hope to millions. Midfielder Robson Matheus summed it up like this:
“We knew that we could not give up because 11 million Bolivians have hope in us.”
The atmosphere in the ‘Steel Giant’ was spectacular. More than 33 thousand people enjoyed a show in peace and harmony. The players were also impressed by the venue.
“I am shocked by the stadium, which is first class… it is a luxury to be in this country,” added Haquín. His teammate Juan Godoy agreed: “The field is spectacular.”
Now, it’s time to rest and prepare for the most important thing. Coach Óscar Villegas was clear:
“We are happy for the objective achieved today, and focused on the fact that what is coming is harder.”
The president of the Bolivian Federation, Fernando Costa, sent a strong message: “Now there is only one small step left, the most important.” The illusion is intact. A final is played on Tuesday.
