Ricardo Gareca has officially stepped down as head coach of the Chilean national team following a devastating 2-0 loss to Bolivia in El Alto on Tuesday, which sealed Chile’s fate of missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In a brief and emotional post-match press conference, Gareca confirmed the decision taken alongside his coaching staff and delegation. “We made a decision, with the coaching staff with the entire delegation. We told them that we want to ease the situation,” he said. Notably, the Argentine manager did not take any questions from the media.
Acknowledging the team’s dismal run, Gareca admitted, “The results never went with us, at any time. We did not produce results. Chile is in a situation that no one would have wished for.”
The loss to Bolivia left “La Roja” at the bottom of the CONMEBOL qualifying table with only 10 points and just two games remaining, effectively ending their campaign. The result confirms that Chile will miss the World Cup for a third consecutive time, having failed to qualify for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. This follows the golden era of Chilean football, when the national team lifted back-to-back Copa America titles in 2015 and 2016.
Gareca, appointed in 2024 with hopes of reviving Chile’s footballing fortunes, departs after a disappointing tenure. Under his leadership, Chile recorded just one win in 13 official matches — a statistic that highlights the team’s continued struggles on the international stage.
The Chilean Football Federation has yet to announce a replacement or further steps, but with qualification hopes dashed, the focus will now likely shift to rebuilding the squad ahead of future competitions.
