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Bolivia national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Bolivia women's national football team.

Bolivia
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)La Verde (The Green)[1]
AssociationBolivian Football Federation (FBF)
ConfederationCONMEBOL (South America)
Head coachÓscar Villegas
CaptainLuis Haquín
Most capsMarcelo Moreno (108)
Top scorerMarcelo Moreno (31)
Home stadiumEstadio Hernando Siles [As of September 2024 -Estadio Municipal de El Alto]
FIFA codeBOL
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 79 Increase 4 (24 October 2024)[2]
Highest18 (July 1997)
Lowest115 (October 2011)
First international
 Chile 7–1 Bolivia 
(Santiago, Chile; 12 October 1926)
Biggest win
 Bolivia 7–0 Venezuela 
(La Paz, Bolivia; 22 August 1993)
 Bolivia 9–2 Haiti 
(La Paz, Bolivia; 3 March 2000)
Biggest defeat
 Uruguay 9–0 Bolivia 
(Lima, Peru; 6 November 1927)
 Brazil 10–1 Bolivia 
(São Paulo, Brazil; 10 April 1949)
World Cup
Appearances3 (first in 1930)
Best resultGroup stage (1930, 1950, 1994)
Copa América
Appearances29 (first in 1926)
Best resultChampions (1963)
Confederations Cup
Appearances1 (first in 1999)
Best resultGroup stage (1999)
Medal record
Copa América
Gold medal – first place 1963 Bolivia Team
Silver medal – second place 1997 Bolivia Team

The Bolivia national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Bolivia), nicknamed La Verde, has represented Bolivia in men's international football since 1926. Organized by the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF),[A] it is one of the ten members of FIFA's South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).

After playing in the 1930 and 1950 World Cups, they have qualified just once, in 1994, where they were eliminated in the group stage. Bolivia have never advanced past the first round of any World Cup, and have only scored one goal, in 1994. Despite their World Cup performances, Bolivia won the Copa América at home in 1963, and finished runners-up in 1997, which they also hosted. At the 2015 Copa América in Chile, they advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1997, after defeating Ecuador 3–2. This also ended a winless streak in the Copa América, with their last win being on 28 June 1997, when they defeated Mexico 1–0 in the semi-finals.[5]

History

[edit]
Photo of twelve men, seven standing and five crouching, inside a stadium
Bolivia national team at the 1930 FIFA World Cup before their match against Yugoslavia

Bolivia debuted in international football in 1926, one year after the Bolivian Football Federation was founded, and joined FIFA that same year. As participants at the 1926 South American Championship in Chile, Bolivia played their first match against the hosts on 12 October 1926, and even ended up scoring first against them, but wound up being defeated by the Chileans 7–1. Bolivia also lost their following three matches: 0–5 against Argentina, 1–6 against Paraguay and 0–6 against Uruguay.[6]

In 1930, Bolivia was one of the teams invited to the inaugural edition of the World Cup, held in Uruguay. Drawn in Group 2 of the 1930 World Cup, Bolivia lost both its games 4–0, first to Yugoslavia at the Estadio Parque Central, and then to Brazil in the Estadio Centenario.[7] The match versus the Yugoslavs would be the last match against non-South American opposition for Bolivia until 1972 – when they again met Yugoslavia.[8] They returned for the 1950 World Cup, where Argentina's withdrawal from the qualifiers gave Bolivia an automatic berth. With three teams declining to play in Brazil, Bolivia was put in a group of two along with Uruguay. The Bolivians' only game was an 8–0 defeat to Uruguay at the Estádio Independência in Belo Horizonte.[9]

The Bolivian squad that won its first and only Copa América title in 1963

Bolivia's greatest football achievement was the 1963 South American Championship title, which they hosted and won after placing first out of 7 countries, including being undefeated, with five wins and one draw. The only draw for Bolivia in the tournament was a 4–4 draw against Ecuador in the opening match. They also had the advantage of being better accustomed to higher altitudes.[10] In the following edition, the 1967 South American Championship, held in Uruguay, Bolivia finished last out of six teams, with one draw and four losses, which was far below what the public expected, as Bolivia had been the defending champion.

Afterwards, the country only started to resurge at an international level with the creation of the Academia Tahuichi Aguilera in Santa Cruz de la Sierra in 1978, a football school that developed players such as Marco Etcheverry, Erwin Sánchez and Luis Cristaldo.

Under Spanish coach Xabier Azkargorta and featuring nine players from Tahuichi, Bolivia surprisingly became the first team to beat Brazil in the 1994 World Cup qualifiers while playing them in La Paz, with a 2–0 win, and qualified for the 1994 World Cup by finishing second in Group B behind the Brazilians themselves, which included record 7–0 and 7–1 wins over Venezuela during their qualification campaign.[11]

Bolivia was drawn into the tournament's Group C, and played defending champions Germany in the tournament's opening match at Soldier Field. Bolivia outplayed Germany in the first half. In the second half, Lothar Matthäus took a 40-yard run and struck Marco "El Diablo" Etcheverry with a high elbow to his jaw. Etcheverry retaliated by fouling Matthäus and was sent off. Eventually, Bolivia lost on a controversial offside goal by Jürgen Klinsmann. Following a goalless draw with South Korea at Foxboro Stadium, where Bolivia was forced to play with ten men again after Cristaldo's red card, Bolivia returned to Chicago and lost 3–1 to Spain, with Sánchez scoring the first ever Bolivian goal in a World Cup.[12]

Following the World Cup, Bolivia participated in the 1995 Copa América held in Uruguay, with Antonio Lopez Habas as manager, where they made the quarter-finals for the first time since winning the competition in 1963, with one win, one draw, and one loss. In the quarter-finals, the nation lost to hosts Uruguay 2–1. Despite the decent performance the team displayed during the tournament, Lopez Habas left his post shortly before the 1997 Copa America, being replaced by Dušan Drašković. The 1997 edition was the second time Bolivia held the tournament. The team reached the final, as had happened last time Bolivia was the host, but this time they finished runner-up to reigning world champion Brazil after losing 3–1 in the final.[10]

Bolivia before a match against Ecuador during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers

With their runner-up finish at the previous Copa America, Bolivia made their first and only FIFA Confederations Cup appearance in the 1999 edition, this time under new Argentine manager Héctor Veira. Bolivia was placed in group A along with hosts Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Their campaign started with a 2–2 draw against Egypt. Their next match was a 0–0 draw against Saudi Arabia. For their last match in the group, they had to play hosts Mexico, in which Bolivia lost 0–1 with a goal from Francisco Palencia. Bolivia finished third in the group with two draws and a loss, being eliminated from the tournament in the first stage.

In the 2015 Copa América in Chile, under Bolivian manager Mauricio Soria, Bolivia were placed in Group A, with Chile, Mexico, and Ecuador. In their match against Mexico, Bolivia drew 0–0. However, against Ecuador, Bolivia won 3–2, with goals from Raldes, Smedberg-Dalence, and Moreno. From this victory against Ecuador, Bolivia made it to the next round, the quarter-finals, for the first time since the 1997 tournament, which they hosted.[13] Bolivia were defeated by Peru 1–3 in the quarter-finals of the tournament, and Bolivia's only goal of the game was a penalty in the last minutes of the match scored by Marcelo Moreno. In the next three Copa América editions, Bolivia performed poorly, losing all games in these tournaments.

In 2021, Bolivian Football Federation's new President, Fernando Costa Sarmiento, lamented the deteriorating condition of football in Bolivia and vowed to rebuild the country's football system. He accused the previous Presidents of mismanaging football as he aimed to reconstruct Bolivian football into a more professional manner.[14]

On 28 March 2023, Bolivia registered its first-ever away win against a World Cup team in the 21st century, a 2–1 over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah in a friendly.[citation needed]

Stadium

[edit]

Bolivia plays their home matches at Estadio Hernando Siles, which has an altitude of 3,637 metres (11,932 ft) above sea level, making it one of the highest football stadiums in the world. Many visiting teams have protested that the altitude gives Bolivia an unfair advantage against opponents. On 27 May 2007, FIFA declared that no World Cup Qualifying matches could be played in stadiums above 8,200 feet (2,500 m) above sea level.[15] However, FIFA raised the altitude limit to 3,000 meters a month later after negative feedback against the ban, and included a special exception for La Paz, thus allowing the stadium to continue holding World Cup qualifying matches.[16] A year after the original ban, in May 2008, FIFA removed the altitude limit entirely.[17] In 2024 the Bolivian Football Federation decided that from then on the home games would be played in the Estadio Municipal de El Alto, that has an altitude of 4,150 metres (13,620 ft) above sea level. The official reasoning by the coach is that it was freshly renovated and that they would play where they live. [18]

Team image

[edit]

Kit history

[edit]

Bolivia's first uniforms were all white. In the 1930 FIFA World Cup, before the match with Yugoslavia, Bolivia painted one of the letters in "Viva Uruguay" in each of the eleven starters' jerseys to please the local crowd. In the following game with Brazil, given the adversary also wore white, Bolivia instead borrowed Uruguay's own blue uniform to play. Bolivia again painted a message to the hosts in the 1945 South American Championship, with the players' jerseys reading "Viva Chile". In 1946, Bolivia changed their jersey colors to black and white stripes, like the colors of the Cochabamba region. FBF reverted to white the following year. In 1957, FBF decided to use one of the colors in the Flag of Bolivia. Given red and yellow were used by many of the other South Americans, green became the primary color, leading to the nickname "La Verde" ("The Green").[19]

Kit sponsorship

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Kit supplier Period
Brazil Penalty 1977–1979
West Germany Adidas 1980–1982
Brazil Penalty 1983–1986
West Germany Adidas 1987–1988
Bolivia El Palacio de las Gorras 1989-1990
Germany Adidas 1991–1992
England Umbro 1993–1999
Mexico Atletica 2000–2005
Ecuador Marathon 2006–2010
Peru Walon 2011–2014
Ecuador Marathon 2015–present

Results and fixtures

[edit]
Main article: Bolivia national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

[edit]
16 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Bolivia  2–0  Peru La Paz, Bolivia
16:00 UTC−4
Report Stadium: Estadio Hernando Siles
Attendance: 28,000
Referee: Guillermo Guerrero (Ecuador)
21 November 2026 World Cup qualification Uruguay  3–0  Bolivia Montevideo, Uruguay
20:30 UTC−3
Report Stadium: Estadio Centenario
Attendance: 46,100
Referee: Kevin Ortega (Peru)

2024

[edit]
22 March 2024 FIFA Series Algeria  3–2  Bolivia Algiers, Algeria
22:00 UTC+1
Report
Stadium: Nelson Mandela Stadium
Referee: Abdel Aziz Bouh (Mauritania)
25 March 2024 FIFA Series Bolivia  1–0  Andorra Annaba, Algeria
22:00 UTC+1
Report Stadium: 19 May 1956 Stadium
Referee: Houssam Benyahia (Algeria)
31 May Friendly Mexico  1–0  Bolivia Chicago, United States
20:30 UTC−5
Report Stadium: Soldier Field
Attendance: 52,273
Referee: Yusuke Araki (Japan)
12 June Friendly Ecuador  3–1  Bolivia Chester, United States
20:30 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Subaru Park
Referee: Lukasz Szpala (United States)
15 June Friendly Colombia  3–0  Bolivia East Hartford, United States
17:00 UTC−4
Report Stadium: Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field
Referee: Daniel Quintero (Mexico)
23 June 2024 Copa América United States  2–0  Bolivia Arlington, United States
17:00 UTC−5
Report Stadium: AT&T Stadium
Attendance: 47,873
Referee: Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
27 June 2024 Copa América Uruguay  5–0  Bolivia East Rutherford, United States
21:00 UTC−4
Report Stadium: MetLife Stadium
Attendance: 48,033
Referee: Juan Benitez (Paraguay)
1 July 2024 Copa América Bolivia  1–3  Panama Orlando, United States
21:00 UTC−4
Report
Stadium: Inter&Co Stadium
Attendance: 16,129
Referee: Edina Alves (Brazil)
5 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Bolivia  4–0  Venezuela El Alto, Bolivia
16:00 UTC−4
Report Stadium: Estadio Municipal de El Alto
Attendance: 20,500
Referee: Wilmar Roldán (Colombia)
10 September 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Chile  1–2  Bolivia Santiago, Chile
18:00 UTC−3
Report
Stadium: Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos
Referee: Juan Benítez (Paraguay)
10 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Bolivia  1–0  Colombia El Alto, Bolivia
16:00 UTC−4
Report Stadium: Estadio Municipal de El Alto
Attendance: 17,191
Referee: Wilton Sampaio (Brazil)
15 October 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Argentina  6–0  Bolivia Buenos Aires, Argentina
21:00 UTC−3
Report Stadium: Estadio Monumental
Referee: Kevin Ortega (Peru)
14 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Ecuador  4–0  Bolivia Guayaquil, Ecuador
19:00 UTC−5
Report Stadium: Estadio Monumental Isidro Romero Carbo
Referee: Maximiliano Ramírez (Argentina)
19 November 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification Bolivia  v  Paraguay El Alto, Bolivia
16:00 UTC−4 Report Stadium: Estadio Municipal de El Alto
Referee: Andrés Matonte (Uruguay)

Coaching staff

[edit]
As of 28 October 2024
Role Name
Head coach Bolivia Óscar Villegas
Assistant coach Bolivia Horacio Pacheco
Assistant coach Bolivia Gabriel Ramírez
Assistant coach Bolivia Cristian Farah
Goalkeeper coach Bolivia Gustavo Gois de Lira
Fitness coach Argentina Maximiliano Alonso
Fitness coach Argentina Pablo Sciacia

Coaching history

[edit]
Caretaker managers are listed in italics.

Players

[edit]

Current squad

[edit]

The following players were called up to the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Ecuador and Paraguay on 14 and 19 November 2024, respectively.[20]

Caps and goals updated as of 14 November 2024, after the game against Ecuador.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Alejandro Torres (1998-03-19) 19 March 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Bolivia Oriente Petrolero
12 1GK Rodrigo Banegas (1995-11-08) 8 November 1995 (age 29) 0 0 Bolivia GV San José
23 1GK Guillermo Viscarra (1993-02-07) 7 February 1993 (age 31) 28 0 Bolivia The Strongest
2 2DF Sebastián Álvarez (2001-08-29) 29 August 2001 (age 23) 1 0 Bolivia Oriente Petrolero
3 2DF Luis Barboza (1993-04-02) 2 April 1993 (age 31) 0 0 Bolivia Aurora
4 2DF Yomar Rocha (2003-06-21) 21 June 2003 (age 21) 7 0 Bolivia Bolívar
5 2DF Marcelo Suárez (2001-08-29) 29 August 2001 (age 23) 14 0 Bolivia Always Ready
18 2DF Luis Paz (2004-06-09) 9 June 2004 (age 20) 4 0 Bolivia Bolívar
19 2DF Efrain Morales (2004-03-04) 4 March 2004 (age 20) 1 0 United States Atlanta United
21 2DF José Sagredo (1994-03-10) 10 March 1994 (age 30) 62 1 Bolivia Bolívar
2DF Diego Medina (2002-01-13) 13 January 2002 (age 22) 19 0 Bolivia Always Ready
2DF Luis Haquín (captain) (1997-11-15) 15 November 1997 (age 27) 41 1 Brazil Ponte Preta
2DF Marcelo Torrez (2006-07-08) 8 July 2006 (age 18) 0 0 Brazil Santos U20
2DF Roberto Fernández (1999-07-12) 12 July 1999 (age 25) 40 1 Russia Akron Tolyatti
6 3MF Héctor Cuéllar (2000-08-16) 16 August 2000 (age 24) 14 0 Bolivia Always Ready
7 3MF Gustavo Mendoza (2004-05-11) 11 May 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Bolivia San Antonio Bulo Bulo
8 3MF Carlos Sejas (2004-01-10) 10 January 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Bolivia Aurora
11 3MF Óscar López 2006 (age 17–18) 1 0 Spain Mallorca U19
15 3MF Gabriel Villamíl (2001-06-28) 28 June 2001 (age 23) 24 0 Ecuador LDU Quito
17 3MF Adalid Terrazas (2000-08-25) 25 August 2000 (age 24) 5 0 Algeria USM Alger
20 3MF Henry Vaca (1998-01-27) 27 January 1998 (age 26) 21 1 Bolivia Bolívar
3MF Boris Céspedes (1995-06-19) 19 June 1995 (age 29) 19 1 Switzerland Yverdon-Sport
3MF Daniel Camacho (1998-10-15) 15 October 1998 (age 26) 1 0 Bolivia Universitario de Vinto
3MF Ervin Vaca (2004-03-18) 18 March 2004 (age 20) 2 0 Bolivia Bolívar
3MF Jeyson Chura (2002-02-03) 3 February 2002 (age 22) 9 0 Bolivia The Strongest
3MF Miguel Terceros (2004-04-25) 25 April 2004 (age 20) 19 4 Brazil Santos
3MF Ramiro Vaca (1999-07-01) 1 July 1999 (age 25) 40 5 Bolivia Bolívar
3MF Robson Tomé (2002-05-18) 18 May 2002 (age 22) 6 0 Bolivia Always Ready
9 4FW Enzo Monteiro (2004-05-27) 27 May 2004 (age 20) 4 1 Brazil Santos
10 4FW Lucas Chávez (2003-04-17) 17 April 2003 (age 21) 8 0 Saudi Arabia Al Taawoun
14 4FW Gabriel Sotomayor (1999-07-02) 2 July 1999 (age 25) 1 0 Bolivia The Strongest
16 4FW César Menacho (1999-08-09) 9 August 1999 (age 25) 6 0 Bolivia Blooming
4FW Carmelo Algarañaz (1996-01-27) 27 January 1996 (age 28) 30 4 Greece Kalamata
4FW José Martínez (2002-09-18) 18 September 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Bolivia Always Ready

Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following players have been called up during the last twelve months. Retired players are not included.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Bruno Poveda (2003-10-22) 22 October 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Bolivia Wilstermann v.  Argentina, 15 October 2024
GK Carlos Lampe (1987-03-17) 17 March 1987 (age 37) 57 0 Bolivia Bolívar v.  Chile, 10 September 2024
GK Gustavo Almada (1994-04-29) 29 April 1994 (age 30) 0 0 Bolivia Universitario de Vinto 2024 Copa América
GK David Akologo (1997-02-19) 19 February 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Bolivia Aurora v.  Mexico, 31 May 2024
GK Rubén Cordano (1998-10-16) 16 October 1998 (age 26) 5 0 Bolivia Oriente Petrolero v.  Uruguay, 21 November 2023
DF Widen Saucedo (1997-03-01) 1 March 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Bolivia Wilstermann v.  Argentina, 15 October 2024
DF Pablo Vaca (2002-05-31) 31 May 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Bolivia Always Ready v.  Colombia, 10 October 2024 INJ
DF Adrián Jusino (1992-07-09) 9 July 1992 (age 32) 36 0 Bolivia The Strongest 2024 Copa América
DF Jesús Sagredo (1994-03-10) 10 March 1994 (age 30) 11 0 Bolivia Bolívar 2024 Copa América
DF César Romero (2001-08-03) 3 August 2001 (age 23) 1 0 Bolivia Blooming v.  Colombia, 15 June 2024
DF Jairo Quinteros (2001-02-07) 7 February 2001 (age 23) 23 0 Bolivia Bolívar v.  Ecuador, 12 June 2024 INJ
DF Erwin Saavedra (1996-02-22) 22 February 1996 (age 28) 40 4 Bolivia Bolívar v.  Mexico, 31 May 2024
DF Denilson Durán (2003-03-24) 24 March 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Bolivia Blooming v.  Mexico, 31 May 2024 INJ
DF Daniel Lino (2002-02-18) 18 February 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Bolivia The Strongest v.  Andorra, 26 March 2024
DF Diego Bejarano (1991-08-24) 24 August 1991 (age 33) 46 3 Bolivia Oriente Petrolero v.  Uruguay, 21 November 2023
MF Víctor Cuéllar (2000-09-23) 23 September 2000 (age 24) 1 0 Bolivia The Strongest v.  Argentina, 15 October 2024
MF Gabriel Montaño (2005-02-15) 15 February 2005 (age 19) 0 0 Bolivia Aurora v.  Chile, 10 September 2024
MF Leonel Justiniano (1992-07-02) 2 July 1992 (age 32) 54 2 Bolivia Bolívar 2024 Copa América
MF Fernando Saucedo (1990-03-15) 15 March 1990 (age 34) 26 1 Bolivia Bolívar 2024 Copa América
MF Jamir Berdecio (2002-08-12) 12 August 2002 (age 22) 1 0 United States Philadelphia Union v.  Mexico, 31 May 2024
MF Miguel Villarroel (2003-01-10) 10 January 2003 (age 21) 1 0 Bolivia Oriente Petrolero v.  Mexico, 31 May 2024
MF Juan Magallanes (2003-01-02) 2 January 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Bolivia Universitario de Vinto v.  Mexico, 31 May 2024
MF Moisés Villarroel (1998-09-07) 7 September 1998 (age 26) 26 1 Bolivia Blooming v.  Mexico, 31 May 2024 INJ
MF Mirko Tomianovic (2001-10-01) 1 October 2001 (age 23) 0 0 Bolivia Real Tomayapo v.  Mexico, 31 May 2024 INJ
MF Jaime Arrascaita (1993-09-02) 2 September 1993 (age 31) 17 1 Bolivia The Strongest v.  Andorra, 26 March 2024
MF Rafinha (1991-12-20) 20 December 1991 (age 32) 0 0 Bolivia Blooming v.  Andorra, 26 March 2024
MF Danny Bejarano (1994-01-03) 3 January 1994 (age 30) 32 0 Cyprus Nea Salamis v.  Uruguay, 21 November 2023
MF Julio Herrera (1999-02-11) 11 February 1999 (age 25) 1 0 Bolivia Guabirá v.  Uruguay, 21 November 2023
FW Bruno Miranda (1998-02-10) 10 February 1998 (age 26) 21 3 Bolivia The Strongest v.  Argentina, 15 October 2024
FW Jhon Velásquez (2003-04-22) 22 April 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Bolivia Bolívar v.  Argentina, 15 October 2024
FW Moisés Paniagua (2007-08-16) 16 August 2007 (age 17) 0 0 Bolivia Always Ready v.  Chile, 10 September 2024
FW Rodrigo Ramallo (1990-10-14) 14 October 1990 (age 34) 41 7 Bolivia The Strongest 2024 Copa América
FW Jaume Cuéllar (2001-08-23) 23 August 2001 (age 23) 9 0 Spain Lugo 2024 Copa América
FW Jair Reinoso (1985-06-07) 7 June 1985 (age 39) 4 0 Bolivia Aurora v.  Mexico, 31 May 2024
FW Marcelo Martins (1987-06-18) 18 June 1987 (age 37) 108 31 Retired v.  Uruguay, 21 November 2023

COV Withdrew from the squad due to COVID-19.
INJ Withdrew from the squad due to injury.
PRE Preliminary squad / standby.
RET Retired from the national team.
SUS Withdrew from the squad due to suspension.

Player records

[edit]
Main article: Bolivia national football team records and statistics
As of 21 November 2023[21]
Players in bold are still active with Bolivia.

Most appearances

[edit]
Marcelo Moreno is Bolivia's most-capped player with 108 caps and all-time top scorer with 31 goals.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Marcelo Moreno 108 31 2007–2023
2 Ronald Raldes 102 3 2001–2018
3 Luis Cristaldo 93 5 1989–2005
Marco Sandy 93 6 1993–2003
5 José Milton Melgar 89 6 1980–1997
6 Juan Carlos Arce 88 15 2004–2022
Carlos Borja 88 1 1979–1995
8 Julio César Baldivieso 85 15 1991–2005
Juan Manuel Peña 85 1 1991–2009
10 Miguel Rimba 80 0 1989–2000

Most goals

[edit]
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Marcelo Moreno 31 108 0.29 2007–2023
2 Joaquín Botero 20 48 0.42 1999–2009
3 Victor Ugarte 16 45 0.36 1947–1963
4 Carlos Aragonés 15 31 0.48 1977–1981
Erwin Sánchez 15 57 0.26 1989–2005
Julio César Baldivieso 15 85 0.18 1991–2005
Juan Carlos Arce 15 88 0.17 2004–2022
8 Máximo Alcócer 13 22 0.59 1953–1963
Marco Etcheverry 13 71 0.18 1989–2003
10 Miguel Aguilar 10 34 0.29 1977–1983

Competitive record

[edit]

FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: Bolivia at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Group stage 12th 2 0 0 2 0 8 Squad Qualified as invitees
Italy 1934 Did not enter Declined participation
France 1938
Brazil 1950 Group stage 13th 1 0 0 1 0 8 Squad Qualified automatically
Switzerland 1954 Did not enter Declined participation
Sweden 1958 Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 6 6
Chile 1962 2 0 1 1 2 3
England 1966 4 1 0 3 4 9
Mexico 1970 4 2 0 2 5 6
West Germany 1974 4 0 0 4 1 11
Argentina 1978 8 3 1 4 10 25
Spain 1982 4 1 0 3 5 6
Mexico 1986 4 0 2 2 2 7
Italy 1990 4 3 0 1 6 5
United States 1994 Group stage 21st 3 0 1 2 1 4 Squad 8 5 1 2 22 11
France 1998 Did not qualify 16 4 5 7 18 21
South Korea Japan 2002 18 4 6 8 21 33
Germany 2006 18 4 2 12 20 37
South Africa 2010 18 4 3 11 22 36
Brazil 2014 16 2 6 8 17 30
Russia 2018 18 4 2 12 16 38
Qatar 2022 18 4 3 11 23 42
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Qualification in progress 11 4 0 7 11 25
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Group stage 3/22 6 0 1 5 1 20 — 179 47 32 100 211 351

Copa América

[edit]
Main article: Bolivia at the Copa América

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place  

South American Championship / Copa América record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
Argentina 1916 Not a CONMEBOL member
Uruguay 1917
Brazil 1919
Chile 1920
Argentina 1921
Brazil 1922
Uruguay 1923
Uruguay 1924
Argentina 1925
Chile 1926 Fifth place 5th 4 0 0 4 2 24 Squad
Peru 1927 Fourth place 4th 3 0 0 3 3 19 Squad
Argentina 1929 Did not participate
Peru 1935
Argentina 1937
Peru 1939
Chile 1941
Uruguay 1942
Chile 1945 Sixth place 6th 6 0 2 4 3 16 Squad
Argentina 1946 Sixth place 6th 5 0 0 5 4 23 Squad
Ecuador 1947 Seventh place 7th 7 0 2 5 6 21 Squad
Brazil 1949 Fourth place 4th 7 4 0 3 13 24 Squad
Peru 1953 Sixth place 6th 6 1 1 4 6 15 Squad
Chile 1955 Did not participate
Uruguay 1956
Peru 1957
Argentina 1959 Seventh place 7th 6 0 1 5 4 23 Squad
Ecuador 1959 Withdrew
Bolivia 1963 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 19 13 Squad
Uruguay 1967 Sixth place 6th 5 0 1 4 0 9 Squad
1975 Group stage 8th 4 1 0 3 3 9 Squad
1979 6th 4 2 0 2 4 7 Squad
1983 8th 4 0 2 2 4 6 Squad
Argentina 1987 7th 2 0 1 1 0 2 Squad
Brazil 1989 9th 4 0 2 2 0 8 Squad
Chile 1991 9th 4 0 2 2 2 7 Squad
Ecuador 1993 10th 3 0 2 1 1 2 Squad
Uruguay 1995 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 1 2 5 6 Squad
Bolivia 1997 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 0 1 10 5 Squad
Paraguay 1999 Group stage 9th 3 0 2 1 1 2 Squad
Colombia 2001 11th 3 0 0 3 0 7 Squad
Peru 2004 9th 3 0 2 1 3 4 Squad
Venezuela 2007 10th 3 0 2 1 4 5 Squad
Argentina 2011 12th 3 0 1 2 1 5 Squad
Chile 2015 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 1 2 4 10 Squad
United States 2016 Group stage 14th 3 0 0 3 2 7 Squad
Brazil 2019 12th 3 0 0 3 2 9 Squad
Brazil 2021 10th 4 0 0 4 2 10 Squad
United States 2024 16th 3 0 0 3 1 10 Squad
Total 1 Title 29/48 122 20 26 76 109 308

FIFA Confederations Cup

[edit]
FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad
Saudi Arabia 1992 Did not qualify
Saudi Arabia 1995
Saudi Arabia 1997
Mexico 1999 Group stage 6th 3 0 2 1 2 3 Squad
South Korea Japan 2001 Did not qualify
France 2003
Germany 2005
South Africa 2009
Brazil 2013
Russia 2017
Total Group stage 1/10 3 0 2 1 2 3 —

Pan American Games

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Pan American Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Argentina 1951 Did not participate
Mexico 1955
United States 1959
Brazil 1963
Canada 1967
Colombia 1971
Mexico 1975 Round 2 6th 5 2 0 3 4 14
Puerto Rico 1979 Did not participate
Venezuela 1983
United States 1987
Cuba 1991
Argentina 1995
Since 1999 See Bolivia national under-23 football team
Total Round 2 1/12 5 2 0 3 4 14

Honours

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Major competitions

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Continental

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Regional

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  • Bolivarian Games
    • Gold medal (2): 1970, 1977
    • Silver medal (2): 1938, 1947-48 (shared)
    • Bronze medal (2): 1965, 1973 (shared)

Friendly

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  • Copa Paz del Chaco[22] (vs  Paraguay)
    • Champions (4): 1957, 1962, 1979, 1993
  • Copa Mariscal Sucre[23] (vs  Peru)
    • Champions (1): 1973 (shared)

Summary

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Senior Competition 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
Copa América 1 1 0 2
Total 1 1 0 2

Notes

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  1. ^ The acronym FBF comes from the organization's Spanish name, Federación Boliviana de Fútbol.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Famous Bolivian Footballers". Your Spanish Translation. Archived from the original on 18 April 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
  2. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  3. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b "World Football Elo Ratings: Bolivia". eloratings.net. World Football Elo Ratings. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Ecuador 2 − Bolivia 3". Univision futbol. 15 June 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  6. ^ "Historia de Nuestro Fútbol, Capítulo 2. Nacen la FBF y la Selección 1925-1926". 11 February 2011. Archived from the original on 27 September 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Bolivia en la Copa del Mundo, Capítulo 1. Uruguay 1930". 12 June 2014. Archived from the original on 7 August 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Bolivia- International Results". Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Bolivia en la Copa del Mundo, Capítulo 2. Brasil 1950". 13 July 2014. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Ca2011.com". www77.ca2011.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2020.
  11. ^ "TAHUICHI HISTORY". Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  12. ^ 1994 FIFA World Cup Technical Report (p. 133)
  13. ^ "Grupo A: Bolivia derrota 3-2 a Ecuador y acaricia los cuartos". Conmebol.com. 15 June 2015. Archived from the original on 17 June 2015.
  14. ^ "Fernando Costa: "A reconstruir el fútbol" - JORNADA". 24 May 2021. Archived from the original on 31 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  15. ^ AP (29 May 2007). "Anger Echoes in South America After FIFA Bans Games at Altitude". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 17 August 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  16. ^ "FIFA excludes La Paz from altitude ban - report". Reuters. 29 June 2007. Archived from the original on 29 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  17. ^ "Fifa suspends ban on high-altitude football". the Guardian. 28 May 2008. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  18. ^ ""Wir spielen, wo wir leben": Bolivien und sein umstrittenes Stadion auf 4150 Metern". Kicker (in German). 8 October 2024.
  19. ^ "World Cup Kits: When Bolivia wore Uruguayan shirts to ingratiate fans". Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  20. ^ @laverde_fbf (30 October 2024). "¡CONVOCATORIA DE LA SELECCIÓN BOLIVIANA DE FÚTBOL PARA LA FECHA 11 Y 12 DE ELIMINATORIA SUDAMERICANA" (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 November 2024 – via Instagram.
  21. ^ Mamrud, Roberto. "Bolivia - Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  22. ^ "Copa Paz del Chaco". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 5 October 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  23. ^ "Copa Mariscal Sucre". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
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