That expanded field means Argentina is already well on its way to a World Cup return, but the table is tightening as Brazil are struggling to recover after a slow start, while Colombia and Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay are dangerous but have had hiccups and Bolivia had won three in a row to thicken the plot in the race for the final

Japan has become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup after beating Bahrain 2-0 at Saitama Stadium.

Japan become the first nation to book their place in the 2026 World Cup through qualifying after defeating Bahrain 2-0 in Saitama.

Japan beat Bahrain 2-0 in Saitama on Thursday to become the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and extend their run of successive appearances at the finals to eight. Second-half goals from Daichi Kamada and Takefusa Kubo ensured the Samurai Blue secured a spot in Asia Group C's top two automatic qualification places.