In 2018 the Peruvian team ended a long 36-year streak without qualifying for a World Cup after finishing fifth in the Conmebol qualifiers and winning the playoffs for the World Cup in Russia. Although the Bicolor could not repeat the success in the process towards Qatar 2022, it could benefit for the 2026 edition and the following ones, since FIFA has increased the number of quotas managed by the South American Confederation.
This increase in places for all continental member federations (Conmebol, UEFA, Concacaf, CAF, AFC and OFC) is a consequence of the overall increase in the number of teams participating (from 32 to 48) in the group stage of the World Cup, which within four years of Mexico , the United States and Canada.
In order to meet this quota, the new distribution (including playoffs) was determined as follows: Europe (16 places), Africa (9.5 places), Asia (8.5 places), Central and North America (6.5 places) , Oceania (1 place) and South America (6.5 places).
With a 6.5 slot format, Peru would have qualified directly for Qatar 2022 and would not have had to play the playoffs. Photo: EFE
This last zone will benefit the most since each country that integrates it has a 60% chance of getting a direct ticket (if it bottom six finishes top of the table) and another 10% chance of at least entering the repechage (if it is in seventh place).
How many World Cups would Peru have qualified for?
Until the mid-1990s, the South American qualifiers were played in groups of three, four, or five teams (depending on the number of participants). This changed after the trial towards France in 1998, when the all-against-all system began.
Since then, the Peruvian team has ranked as follows: France 1998 (5th), Korea-Japan 2002 (8th), Germany 2006 (9th), South Africa 2010 (10th), Brazil 2014 (7th), Russia 2018 (5th). ) and Qatar 2022 (5th). Only three times could the Blanquirroja land over box seven and once did he reach that position.
In other words, if the round-robin qualifiers had been played with 6.5 spots available from the start, Peru could have achieved two more World Cups for a total of seven appearances in the tournament, in addition to an additional playoff appearance.