Pathway 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ Play-Off Tournament starts with a tussle between Bolivia and Suriname at Monterrey Stadium.
How to watch
You can purchase tickets to the FIFA Play-Off Tournament here. You can also stream the match for free on FIFA+ (available in most territories).
Bolivia v Suriname
Kick-off times
16:00 in Monterrey
18:00 in La Paz
19:00 in Paramaribo
Ever since their dramatic 1-0 win over Brazil on the final matchday of CONMEBOL qualifying, Bolivia fans have been over the moon, but now it’s time to get back down to the business of trying to reach the World Cup. The battle-tested Bolivians emerged alive from the South American preliminaries and will hope that pays off against a Suriname team that hasn’t played since their Concacaf qualifying finale last November.
A team with players mostly spread throughout the European continent, including a couple of intriguing first-timers, will try to deliver Suriname their first World Cup qualification under the guidance of new head coach Henk ten Cate.
Players to watch
There is plenty of firepower up front for both teams, each of whom flexed their scoring muscles at various points in their respective qualifying campaigns. Bolivia head coach Oscar Villegas has the luxury of turning to Miguel Terceros, who tormented opposing back lines in notching seven goals, while Suriname’s Richonell Margaret exhibited a dangerous touch inside the area on his way to three goals.
This match could well be decided by wing play, and Suriname will fancy their chances with Sheraldo Becker, but the same could be said of Bolivia’s Ramiro Vaca.
Quotes
“Suriname play very direct. Normally they like to sit back and then when it’s time for them to attack, they strike deep. They are physical and strong, so we’ll need to find our goals playing on the ground.”
Oscar Villegas, Bolivia coach
“I think we have a lot of quality, but what stands out the most is the team spirit. Especially in a game like this, the team spirit is more important than quality.”
Henk ten Cate, Suriname coach
Stats
What’s at stake
A berth in the FIFA Play-Off Tournament final against Iraq on 31 March. The winner of that decider advances to World Cup 2026 Group I alongside France, Norway and Senegal.
