Bolivia makes history with victory over Suriname

The Bolivian national team managed to capitalize on their effectiveness in the second half to secure a historic 2-1 victory over Suriname in a match played today at the BBVA Stadium in Mexico, owned by Monterrey, during the first round of the playoff for the 2026 World Cup. Suriname took the lead in the second minute of the second half with a goal from defender Liam Van Gelderen, while the Bolivian comeback was sealed by strikes from forwards Moisés Paniagua and Miguel Terceros, from a penalty, in the 26th and 33rd minutes respectively. With this win, Bolivia advanced to the final stage of the playoff for the World Cup in Canada. Mexico and the United States will face Iraq on April 1st at 00:00 (Argentine time). The winner of the next match will advance to Group G of the 2026 World Cup, alongside France, Senegal, and Norway. The first chance of the game came from the Bolivian team in the 21st minute, with a shot from the left touchline by Ronnie Fernández that goalkeeper Etienne Vaessen managed to push away with his fists, off his left post. Seven minutes later, the Surinamese team arrived, with a back-pass from striker Gyrano Kerk to free up attacker Joel Piroe, whose first-time shot went high. When the game was at 31 minutes, Fernández filtered a pass on the left to enable the run of midfielder Robson Matheus, who chipped the ball over the onrushing Vaessen, with a shot that went wide of the far post and no teammate could push it into the open goal. Goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra saved the Bolivian national team in the 34th minute when he headed away a shot from the penalty area by defender Myenty Abena, following a run down the left and a back-pass. In the second minute of the second half, defender Liam Van Gelderen took advantage of a rebound in the area, after a shot that Viscarra could not hold, and poked the ball home for 1-0. The equalizer came in the 26th minute, when the recently introduced forward Moisés Paniagua held onto a rebound inside the area and struck a shot with the tip of his right foot, which went in slowly and along the ground through Vaessen's left post. Three minutes later, winger Miguel Terceros received the ball on the edge of the penalty area and took a quick first-time shot, which was deflected by a defender and saved by the Surinamese goalkeeper. In the 33rd minute, after a foul suffered by forward Juan Godoy inside the area, Terceros converted a penalty with a low and crossed left-footed shot and put the Bolivian team ahead, with 12 minutes remaining. The last chance came from Suriname, in the tenth and second-to-last minute of stoppage time, with a shot from the edge of the area by striker Denzel Jubitana, which would have gone in through the far post but was headed away by a defender.