Carlos Lampe celebrated the classification of Bolivia to the repechage with the Colombian shirt on | QUALINATORIES | James Rodríguez

The archer of Bolivia, Carlos Lampe, celebrates the classification of his selection to the repechage.

Photo: EFE – Jorge Ábrego

The Bolivia National Team lived on Tuesday one of its happiest nights in the last three decades. The Green beat Brazil 1-0 at the El Alto stadium and secured a quota in the repechage towards the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada 2026.

A penalty executed with coldness by Miguel Terceres broke the zero and unleashed the joy in a country that has not played a World Cup for 31 years. Since 1994, when Bolivia was in the United States, he did not have such a close opportunity to return to the maximum event.

The triumph over Canarinha, however, was not enough. The classification depended on what happened in Maturín, where Colombia visited Venezuela. The Bolivians needed the Vinotinto not to win, and the tricolor by imposing himself with a blunt 6-3, left those of the highlands in the seventh place.

“Colombian aid” did not go unnoticed. One of the most striking scenes of the celebration was the protagonist of Carlos Lampe, the most experienced footballer of the current squad of La Verde and appears in the victory against Brazil, who celebrated the victory over the Brazil of Carlo Ancelotti after the final whistle.

The goalkeeper of Bolívar de La Paz, who held his undefeated arch in a match loaded with tension, was seen after the game with James Rodríguez's shirt. He left the stadium with the delegation and, already on the bus, looked out the upper window wearing the tricolor with the number 10 in the chest.

Between applause and songs of the Bolivian fans, the goalkeeper raised his arms to thank the love of the people. The garment, then explained in a transmission of his partner Moisés Villarroel, had exchanged it with James in a friendly and retains the firm of the today's Club player.

The gesture was read as a wink to the country that gave them a hand on the last date of the South American Qualifiers and that allows them to continue dreaming of returning to the maximum appointment. Between jokes and emotion, Lampe acknowledged that Colombia was also part of the classification.

Now Bolivia has several months to prepare the repechage that will be played in March next year, in Mexico. Although the rival is not yet known – because the quotas of Africa, Asia and Concacaf are being defined – the illusion of returning to a World Cup is more alive than ever.

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