Bolivia national football team
| |||
Nickname(s) |
La Verde (The Green)[1] Los Altiplanicos (The Highlanders)[1] | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) | ||
Confederation | CONMEBOL (South America) | ||
Head coach | César Farías (Interim) | ||
Captain | Ronald Raldes | ||
Most caps | Ronald Raldes (102) | ||
Top scorer | Joaquín Botero (20) | ||
Home stadium | Estadio Hernando Siles | ||
FIFA code | BOL | ||
| |||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current |
58 | ||
Highest | 18 (July 1997) | ||
Lowest | 115 (October 2011) | ||
Elo ranking | |||
Current |
48 | ||
Highest | 22 (June 1997[2]) | ||
Lowest | 86 (July 1989[2]) | ||
First international | |||
(Santiago, Chile; 12 October 1926) | |||
Biggest win | |||
(La Paz, Bolivia; 22 August 1993) (La Paz, Bolivia; 3 March 2000) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
(Lima, Peru; 6 November 1927) (São Paulo, Brazil; 10 April 1949) | |||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 3 (first in 1930) | ||
Best result | Group stage, 1930, 1950 and 1994 | ||
Copa América | |||
Appearances | 26 (first in 1926) | ||
Best result | Champions, 1963 | ||
Confederations Cup | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 1999) | ||
Best result | Group stage, 1999 |
The Bolivia national football team (Selección de fútbol de Bolivia), also known as La Verde or Los Altiplanicos, has represented Bolivia in international football since 1926. Organized by the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF)[upper-alpha 1], it is one of the 10 members of FIFA's South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL).
After playing in the 1930 and 1950 World Cups, they qualified just once — in 1994 where they lost 1–0 to defending champions Germany in the tournament's opening game in Chicago. Bolivia have never advanced past the first round of any World Cup, and have only scored one goal, in 1994. However, they did win the Copa América at home in 1963, and finished as runners-up in their following tournament as hosts in 1997. In the Copa América 2015 in Chile, after defeating Ecuador 3–2, they advanced to the quarter-finals for the first time since 1997. This also ended a non-winning streak in the Copa América, with their last win being on 28 June 1997, when they defeated Mexico 1–0 in the semi-finals.[3]
History
Bolivia debuted in international football in 1926, one year after the foundation of the Bolivian Football Federation. As participants of the 1926 South American Championship in Chile, Bolivia scored first against the hosts with Téofilo Aguilar, but wound up defeated by the Chileans 7–1. Bolivia also lost the following three games, 0–5 against Argentina, 1–6 against Paraguay and 0–6 against Uruguay.[4]
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.[5] The match versus the Yugoslavs would be the last match against non-South American opposition for Bolivia until 1972 – when they again met Yugoslavia.[6] They returned in the 1950 World Cup, where Argentina's withdrawal from the qualifiers led Bolivia to 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.[7]
Bolivia's greatest football achievement was the 1963 South American Championship title, which they hosted and had the advantage of being better used to the higher altitudes.[8] 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 revealed 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 South American qualifiers while playing them in La Paz, and qualified for the 1994 World Cup finishing second in Group B of the CONMEBOL qualifiers behind the Brazilians themselves.[9] Bolivia was drawn into the tournament's Group C, and got selected as the adversary of defending champions Germany in the tournament's opening match. Bolivia played a great first half, outplaying Germany. In the second half Lothar Matheus took a 40 yard run and leveled Marco El Diablo Etcheverry. Etcheverry retaliated and was sent off. Eventually Bolivia lost on an offside goal by Klinsman. Following a goalless draw with South Korea at Foxboro Stadium, Bolivia returned to Chicago and lost 3–1 to Spain, with Sánchez scoring the first ever Bolivian goal in the World Cup.[10] Following that Bolivia again hosted the South American Championship, now known as Copa América, in 1997. Again, the team reached the final, to finish as runner-up to Brazil.[11]
In the 2015 Copa América in Chile, Bolivia were 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 Martins. From this victory against Ecuador, Bolivia made it to the next round, the quarter-finals, for the first time since the 1997 tournament, in which they hosted it.[12] Bolivia were defeated by Peru 1–3 in the quarter-finals of the tournament. Bolivia's only goal of the game was a penalty in the last minutes of the match by Marcelo Martins Moreno.
Kit history
Bolivia's first uniforms were all white. In the 1930 FIFA World Cup, Bolivia painted before the starting match with Yugoslavia 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 "El Verde" ("The Green").[13]
Kit providers
Kit provider | Period |
---|---|
1977–1979 | |
1980–1982 | |
1983–1986 | |
1987–1988 | |
1989-1990 | |
1991–1992 | |
1993–1999 | |
2000–2005 | |
2006–2010 | |
2011–2014 | |
2015–2019 |
Stadium
Bolivia play their home games 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 protest 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. However FIFA raised the altitude limit after months of campaigning against the ban, thus allowing the stadium to continue holding World Cup qualifying matches.
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup record
FIFA World Cup record | FIFA World Cup Qualification record | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
Group stage | 12th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | Qualified as invitees | |||||||
Did not enter | Declined participation | ||||||||||||||
Group stage | 13th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | Qualified automatically | |||||||
Did not enter | Declined participation | ||||||||||||||
Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | |||||||||
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 9 | ||||||||||
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 11 | ||||||||||
8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 25 | ||||||||||
4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 | ||||||||||
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | ||||||||||
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | ||||||||||
Group stage | 21st | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 11 | ||
Did not qualify | 16 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 21 | |||||||||
18 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 21 | 33 | ||||||||||
18 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 20 | 37 | ||||||||||
18 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 22 | 36 | ||||||||||
16 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 17 | 30 | ||||||||||
18 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 16 | 38 | ||||||||||
To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
Total | Group stage | 3/23 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 20 | 150 | 39 | 29 | 82 | 177 | 284 |
FIFA World Cup History | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Score | Result |
1930 | Round 1 | Loss | |
Round 1 | Loss | ||
1950 | Round 1 | Loss | |
1994 | Round 1 | Loss | |
Round 1 | Draw | ||
Round 1 | Loss | ||
FIFA Confederations Cup record
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 | |||||||||
Asia 2021 | To be determined | ||||||||
Total | Group stage | 1/11 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | - |
FIFA Confederations Cup History | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Score | Result |
1999 | Round 1 | Draw | |
Round 1 | Draw | ||
Round 1 | Loss |
Copa América record
Copa América/South American Championship | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total: 1 Title | |||||||
Year | Position | Year | Position | Year | Position | ||
1916 | No Participation | 1941 | Withdrew | 1979 | Round 1 | ||
1917 | No Participation | 1942 | Withdrew | 1983 | Round 1 | ||
1919 | No Participation | 1945 | Sixth Place | 1987 | Round 1 | ||
1920 | No Participation | 1946 | Sixth Place | 1989 | Round 1 | ||
1921 | No Participation | 1947 | Seventh Place | 1991 | Round 1 | ||
1922 | No Participation | 1949 | Fourth Place | 1993 | Round 1 | ||
1923 | No Participation | 1953 | Sixth Place | 1995 | Quarter-finals | ||
1924 | No Participation | 1955 | Withdrew | 1997 | Runners-up | ||
1925 | No Participation | 1956 | Withdrew | 1999 | Round 1 | ||
1926 | Fifth Place | 1957 | Withdrew | 2001 | Round 1 | ||
1927 | Fourth Place | 1959 | Seventh Place | 2004 | Round 1 | ||
1929 | Withdrew | 1959 | Withdrew | 2007 | Round 1 | ||
1935 | Withdrew | 1963 | Champions | 2011 | Round 1 | ||
1937 | Withdrew | 1967 | Sixth Place | 2015 | Quarter-finals | ||
1939 | Withdrew | 1975 | Round 1 | 2016 | Round 1 | ||
Pan American Games record
Records
Most capped players
Players in bold are still active at international level. As of 10 September 2018, the ten players with the most caps for Bolivia are:
# | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Ronald Raldes | 2001– | 102 | 3 |
2. | Luis Héctor Cristaldo | 1989–2005 | 93 | 4 |
Marco Antonio Sandy | 1993–2003 | 93 | 6 | |
4. | José Milton Melgar | 1980–1997 | 89 | 6 |
5. | Julio César Baldivieso | 1991–2005 | 85 | 15 |
Juan Manuel Peña | 1991–2009 | 85 | 1 | |
7. | Carlos Fernando Borja | 1979–1995 | 82 | 1 |
8. | Miguel Ángel Rimba | 1989–2000 | 80 | 0 |
9. | Óscar Sánchez | 1994–2006 | 76 | 6 |
10. | Jaime Moreno | 1993–2008 | 74 | 8 |
Top goalscorers
Players in bold are still active at international level. As of 10 September 2018, the ten players with the most goals for Bolivia are:
# | Name | Career | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Joaquín Botero | 1999–2009 | 20 |
2. | Víctor Agustín Ugarte | 1947–1963 | 16 |
Marcelo Martins | 2007– | 17 | |
4. | Julio César Baldivieso | 1991–2005 | 15 |
Erwin Sánchez | 1989–2005 | 15 | |
6 | Carlos Aragonés | 1977–1981 | 14 |
7. | Máximo Alcócer | 1953–1963 | 13 |
Marco Antonio Etcheverry | 1989–2003 | 13 | |
9. | Miguel Aguilar | 1977–1983 | 11 |
Juan Carlos Arce | 2004– | 11 |
2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification Standings
{{2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONMEBOL table}}
Match results and fixtures
Recent matches as well as any future scheduled matches.
23 March 2018 Friendly | Curaçao |
1–1 | Willemstad, Curaçao | |
---|---|---|---|---|
17:00 (UTC−4) | van Kessel |
Report | Lachman |
Stadium: Ergilio Hato Stadium Attendance: 3,384 Referee: Ricangel de Leça (Aruba) |
26 March 2018 Friendly | Curaçao |
1–0 | Willemstad, Curaçao | |
---|---|---|---|---|
16:00 (UTC−4) | Bacuna |
Report | Stadium: Ergilio Hato Stadium Attendance: 5,693 Referee: Ricangel de Leça (Aruba) |
28 May 2018 Friendly | United States |
3–0 | Chester, United States | |
---|---|---|---|---|
18:30 (UTC−4) | Report | Stadium: Talen Energy Stadium Attendance: 11,882 Referee: Oshane Nation (Jamaica) |
7 June 2018 Friendly | South Korea |
0–0 | Salzburg, Austria | |
---|---|---|---|---|
14:10 (UTC+2) | Report | Stadium: Tivoli-Neu Attendance: 500 Referee: Robert Schörgenhofer (Austria) |
9 June 2018 Friendly | Serbia |
5–1 | Graz, Austria | |
---|---|---|---|---|
18:00 (UTC+2) | Report |
|
Stadium: Liebenauer Stadium Attendance: 1,572 Referee: Christopher Jäger (Austria) |
10 September 2018 Friendly | Saudi Arabia |
2–2 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:15 (UTC+3) |
|
Report | Stadium: Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium Attendance: 8,000 Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain) |
Current squad
The following 19 players were called up for the friendly matches against
Caps and goals updated as of 10 September 2018, after the game against
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Carlos Lampe | 17 March 1987 | 24 | 0 | ||
GK | Guillermo Vizcarra | 7 February 1993 | 3 | 0 | ||
DF | Danny Bejarano | 3 January 1994 | 21 | 0 | ||
DF | José Sagredo | 10 March 1994 | 11 | 0 | ||
DF | Gabriel Valverde | 24 June 1990 | 10 | 0 | ||
DF | Luis Haquin | 15 November 1997 | 6 | 0 | ||
DF | Jordy Candia | 20 April 1996 | 5 | 0 | ||
DF | Carlos Áñez | 6 July 1995 | 3 | 0 | ||
DF | Óscar Ribera | 10 February 1992 | 2 | 0 | ||
DF | Harry Céspedes | 27 July 1998 | 0 | 0 | ||
DF | Ronny Montero | 15 May 1991 | 0 | 0 | ||
MF | Jhasmani Campos | 10 May 1988 | 49 | 5 | ||
MF | Rudy Cardozo | 14 February 1990 | 38 | 5 | ||
MF | Erwin Saavedra | 22 February 1996 | 14 | 0 | ||
MF | Leonel Justiniano | 2 July 1992 | 11 | 0 | ||
MF | Diego Wayar | 15 October 1993 | 9 | 0 | ||
MF | Juan Ribera | 15 August 1995 | 4 | 0 | ||
MF | Cristián Arano | 23 February 1995 | 0 | 0 | ||
MF | Carlos Melgar | 4 November 1994 | 0 | 0 | ||
MF | Moisés Villarroel | 7 September 1998 | 0 | 0 | ||
FW | Marcelo Moreno | 18 June 1987 | 68 | 17 | ||
FW | Gilbert Álvarez | 7 April 1992 | 13 | 3 | ||
FW | Leonardo Vaca | 24 November 1995 | 4 | 0 | ||
FW | Henry Vaca | 27 January 1998 | 1 | 0 |
Recent call-ups
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 | Rubén Cordano | 16 October 1998 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
GK | Romel Quiñónez | 25 June 1992 | 14 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Jorge Rojas | 3 March 1996 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Ronald Raldes (Captain) | 20 April 1981 | 102 | 3 | v. | |
DF | Gustavo Olguín | 13 November 1994 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Cristian Coimbra | 31 December 1988 | 4 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Oscar Baldomar | 16 February 1996 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Jesús Sagredo | 10 March 1994 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Wilfredo Soleto | 21 February 1996 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Diego Bejarano | 24 August 1991 | 23 | 2 | v. | |
DF | Maximiliano Ortíz | 11 October 1989 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Pablo Pedraza | 10 March 1995 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Juan Aponte | 18 May 1992 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Luis Alberto Gutiérrez | 10 March 1985 | 46 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Edward Zenteno | 5 December 1984 | 36 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Marvin Bejarano | 6 March 1988 | 35 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Leonel Morales | 2 September 1988 | 11 | 0 | v. | |
DF | Mario Cuéllar | 5 May 1989 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Raúl Castro | 19 August 1989 | 15 | 0 | v. | |
MF | José Luis Vargas | 31 January 1996 | 5 | 1 | v. | |
MF | Rodrigo Rodríguez | 4 July 1990 | 3 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Héctor Sánchez | 24 April 1997 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Leandro Maygua | 12 September 1992 | 5 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Fernando Saucedo | 15 March 1990 | 5 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Rodrigo Borda | 11 February 1992 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Jaime Alberto Cornejo | 20 September 1994 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Sergio Moruno | 8 June 1993 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Edson Pérez | 16 December 1992 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Miguel Quiroga | 15 September 1991 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Daniel Saravia | 30 October 1989 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Jhon García Sossa | 13 April 2000 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Ramiro Vaca | 1 July 1999 | 1 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Franz Gonzales | 26 June 2000 | 0 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Alejandro Chumacero | 22 April 1991 | 38 | 2 | v. | |
MF | Pedro Azogue | 6 December 1994 | 17 | 0 | v. | |
MF | Cristhian Machado | 20 June 1990 | 3 | 0 | v. | |
FW | Bruno Miranda | 10 February 1998 | 6 | 0 | v. | |
FW | Juan Carlos Arce | 10 April 1985 | 66 | 11 | v. | |
FW | Rodrigo Vargas | 19 October 1994 | 6 | 0 | v. | |
FW | Luis Alí | 17 April 1994 | 5 | 0 | v. | |
FW | Ronaldo Sánchez | 24 April 1997 | 2 | 0 | v. | |
FW | Eduardo Fierro | 23 June 1988 | 3 | 0 | v. |
Notes
- ↑ The acronym FBF comes from the organization's Spanish name, Federación Boliviana de Fútbol.
See also
References
- 1 2 "Famous Bolivian Footballers". Your Spanish Translation. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- 1 2 "World Football Elo Ratings: Bolivia". eloratings.net. World Football Elo Ratings. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
- ↑ "Ecuador 2 − Bolivia 3". futbol.univision.com. Univision Communications Inc. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
- ↑ Historia de Nuestro Fútbol, Capítulo 2. Nacen la FBF y la Selección 1925–1926
- ↑ Bolivia en la Copa del Mundo, Capítulo 1. Uruguay 1930
- ↑ "Bolivia- International Results". Archived from the original on 28 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
- ↑ Bolivia en la Copa del Mundo, Capítulo 2. Brasil 1950
- ↑ Copa América 1963 -Bolivia: a new champion is born
- ↑ TAHUICHI HISTORY
- ↑ 1994 FIFA World Cup Technical Report (p. 133)
- ↑ Copa América 1997 – Brazil Win their First Cup Away from Home
- ↑ http://www.conmebol.com/es/15062015-1911/grupo-bolivia-derrota-3-2-ecuador-y-acaricia-los-cuartos
- ↑ World Cup Kits: When Bolivia wore Uruguayan shirts to ingratiate fans
- ↑ "CONVOCADOS A LA SELECCIÓN BOLIVIANA DE FÚTBOL". noticiaaldia.com. Retrieved 4 Octo 2018. Check date values in:
|accessdate=
(help)
External links
Preceded by 1959 – Uruguay |
South American Champions 1963 (First title) |
Succeeded by 1967 – Uruguay |