Bolivia national football team

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The Bolivia national football team (Template:Langx), nicknamed La Verde, has represented Bolivia in men's international football since 1926. Organized by the Federación Boliviana de Fútbol (Template:Langx),Template:Efn-ua 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

History

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The match versus the Yugoslavs would be the last match against non-South American opposition for Bolivia until 1972 – when they again met Yugoslavia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>1994 FIFA World Cup Technical Report (p. 133)</ref>

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.<ref name="auto" />

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.Template:Cn

Stadium

Bolivia played their home matches at Estadio Hernando Siles, which has an altitude of Template:Convert 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A year after the original ban, in May 2008, FIFA removed the altitude limit entirely.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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 Template:Convert above sea level. The official reasoning by the coach is that it was freshly renovated and that they would play where they live.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Team image

Kit history

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 the colors of the Flag of Bolivia. Given that red and yellow were used by many of the other South American national teams, green became the primary color, leading to the nickname "La Verde" ("The Green").<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Kit sponsorship

Kit supplier Period
Template:Flagicon Penalty 1977–1979
Template:Flagicon Adidas 1980–1982
Template:Flagicon Penalty 1983–1986
Template:Flagicon Adidas 1987–1988
Template:Flagicon El Palacio de las Gorras 1989-1990
Template:Flagicon Adidas 1991–1992
Template:Flagicon Umbro 1993–1999
Template:Flagicon Atletica 2000–2005
Template:Flagicon Marathon 2006–2010
Template:Flagicon Walon 2011–2014
Template:Flagicon Marathon 2015–present

Results and fixtures

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2 Template:Legend2

2024

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2025

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2026

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Coaching staff

Template:Updated

Role Name
Head coach Template:Flagicon Óscar Villegas
Assistant coach Template:Flagicon Horacio Pacheco
Template:Flagicon Gabriel Ramírez
Template:Flagicon Cristian Farah
Goalkeeper coach Template:Flagicon Gustavo Gois de Lira
Fitness coach Template:Flagicon Maximiliano Alonso
Fitness coach Template:Flagicon Pablo Sciacia

Coaching history

Caretaker managers are listed in italics.

Template:Div col

Template:Div col end

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up to the squad for the friendly match against South Korea and the Kirin Challenge Cup match against Japan on 14 and 18 November 2025, respectively.<ref>Template:Cite instagram</ref><ref>Template:Cite instagram</ref>

Caps and goals updated Template:As of, after the game against Japan.

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Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up during the last twelve months. Template:Nat fs r start Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs break Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs break Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs break Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs r player Template:Nat fs break 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. Template:Nat fs end

Player records

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Template:Updated<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Players in bold are still active with Bolivia.

Most appearances

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 Template:Nowrap
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

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Marcelo Moreno 31 108 {{#expr:31/108 round 2}} 2007–2023
2 Joaquín Botero 20 48 {{#expr:20/48 round 2}} Template:Nowrap
3 Victor Ugarte 16 45 {{#expr:16/45 round 2}} 1947–1963
4 Carlos Aragonés 15 31 {{#expr:15/31 round 2}} 1977–1981
Erwin Sánchez 15 57 {{#expr:15/57 round 2}} 1989–2005
Julio César Baldivieso 15 85 {{#expr:15/85 round 2}} 1991–2005
Juan Carlos Arce 15 88 {{#expr:15/88 round 2}} 2004–2022
8 Máximo Alcócer 13 22 {{#expr:13/22 round 2}} 1953–1963
Marco Etcheverry 13 71 {{#expr:13/71 round 2}} 1989–2003
10 Miguel Aguilar 10 34 {{#expr:10/34 round 2}} 1977–1983

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Squad Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip
Template:Flagicon 1930 Group stage 12th 2 0 0 2 0 8 Squad Qualified as invitees
Template:Flagicon 1934 Did not enter Declined participation
Template:Flagicon 1938
Template:Flagicon 1950 Group stage 13th 1 0 0 1 0 8 Squad Qualified automatically
Template:Flagicon 1954 Did not enter Declined participation
Template:Flagicon 1958 Did not qualify 4 2 0 2 6 6
Template:Flagicon 1962 2 0 1 1 2 3
Template:Flagicon 1966 4 1 0 3 4 9
Template:Flagicon 1970 4 2 0 2 5 6
Template:Flagicon 1974 4 0 0 4 1 11
Template:Flagicon 1978 8 3 1 4 10 25
Template:Flagicon 1982 4 1 0 3 5 6
Template:Flagicon 1986 4 0 2 2 2 7
Template:Flagicon 1990 4 3 0 1 6 5
Template:Flagicon 1994 Group stage 21st 3 0 1 2 1 4 Squad 8 5 1 2 22 11
Template:Flagicon 1998 Did not qualify 16 4 5 7 18 21
Template:Flagicon Template:Flagicon 2002 18 4 6 8 21 33
Template:Flagicon 2006 18 4 2 12 20 37
Template:Flagicon 2010 18 4 3 11 22 36
Template:Flagicon 2014 16 2 6 8 17 30
Template:Flagicon 2018 18 4 2 12 16 38
Template:Flagicon 2022 18 4 3 11 23 42
Template:Flagicon Template:Flagicon Template:Flagicon 2026 Qualification in progress 18 6 2 10 17 35
Template:Flagicon Template:Flagicon Template:Flagicon 2030 To be determined To be determined
Template:Flagicon 2034
Total Group stage Template:Tooltip 6 0 1 5 1 20 186 49 34 103 217 361

Copa América

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}}

Template:Color box Champions  Template:Color box Runners-up  Template:Color box Third place  Template:Color box Fourth place  

South American Championship / Copa América record
Year Round Position Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Template:Abbr Squad
Template:Flagicon 1916 No national representative
Template:Flagicon 1917
Template:Flagicon 1919
Template:Flagicon 1920
Template:Flagicon 1921
Template:Flagicon 1922
Template:Flagicon 1923
Template:Flagicon 1924
Template:Flagicon 1925 Not a CONMEBOL member
Template:Flagicon 1926 Fifth place 5th 4 0 0 4 2 24 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1927 Fourth place 4th 3 0 0 3 3 19 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1929 Did not participate
Template:Flagicon 1935
Template:Flagicon 1937
Template:Flagicon 1939
Template:Flagicon 1941
Template:Flagicon 1942
Template:Flagicon 1945 Sixth place 6th 6 0 2 4 3 16 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1946 Sixth place 6th 5 0 0 5 4 23 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1947 Seventh place 7th 7 0 2 5 6 21 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1949 Fourth place 4th 7 4 0 3 13 24 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1953 Sixth place 6th 6 1 1 4 6 15 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1955 Did not participate
Template:Flagicon 1956
Template:Flagicon 1957
Template:Flagicon 1959 Seventh place 7th 6 0 1 5 4 23 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1959 Withdrew
Template:Flagicon 1963 Champions 1st 6 5 1 0 19 13 Squad
Template:Flagicon 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
Template:Flagicon 1987 7th 2 0 1 1 0 2 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1989 9th 4 0 2 2 0 8 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1991 9th 4 0 2 2 2 7 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1993 10th 3 0 2 1 1 2 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1995 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 1 2 5 6 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1997 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 0 1 10 5 Squad
Template:Flagicon 1999 Group stage 9th 3 0 2 1 1 2 Squad
Template:Flagicon 2001 11th 3 0 0 3 0 7 Squad
Template:Flagicon 2004 9th 3 0 2 1 3 4 Squad
Template:Flagicon 2007 10th 3 0 2 1 4 5 Squad
Template:Flagicon 2011 12th 3 0 1 2 1 5 Squad
Template:Flagicon 2015 Quarter-finals 8th 4 1 1 2 4 10 Squad
Template:Flagicon 2016 Group stage 14th 3 0 0 3 2 7 Squad
Template:Flagicon 2019 12th 3 0 0 3 2 9 Squad
Template:Flagicon 2021 10th 4 0 0 4 2 10 Squad
Template:Flagicon 2024 16th 3 0 0 3 1 10 Squad
Total 1 Title 29/48 122 20 26 76 109 308

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Squad
Template:Flagicon 1992 Did not qualify
Template:Flagicon 1995
Template:Flagicon 1997
Template:Flagicon 1999 Group stage 6th 3 0 2 1 2 3 Squad
Template:Flagicon Template:Flagicon 2001 Did not qualify
Template:Flagicon 2003
Template:Flagicon 2005
Template:Flagicon 2009
Template:Flagicon 2013
Template:Flagicon 2017
Total Group stage 1/10 3 0 2 1 2 3

Pan American Games

Pan American Games record
Year Round Position Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip Template:Tooltip
Template:Flagicon 1951 Did not participate
Template:Flagicon 1955
Template:Flagicon 1959
Template:Flagicon 1963
Template:Flagicon 1967
Template:Flagicon 1971
Template:Flagicon 1975 Round 2 6th 5 2 0 3 4 14
Template:Flagicon 1979 Did not participate
Template:Flagicon 1983
Template:Flagicon 1987
Template:Flagicon 1991
Template:Flagicon 1995
Since 1999 See Bolivia national under-23 football team
Total Round 2 1/12 5 2 0 3 4 14

Honours

Continental

Regional

Friendly

  • Copa Paz del Chaco<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> (4): 1957, 1962, 1979, 1993

  • Copa Mariscal Sucre<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> (1): 1973s

Summary

Competition Template:Gold1 Template:Silver2 Template:Bronze3 Total
CONMEBOL Copa América 1 1 0 2
Total 1 1 0 2
Notes
  • s Shared titles.

Notes

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See also

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References

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