🔗 Share this article Latin American Rugby Success Stories Fuel Men's World Cup Qualification Campaign As many fans in the UK concentrate on club early-season performances or debate upcoming autumn internationals, the contest for World Cup 2027 qualification rages on unabated. Chile's Remarkable Accomplishment Chile earned their second consecutive spot at the competition with a sensational qualifying win against Samoa recently, leaving only a single place left up for grabs for the host nation in two years. Meanwhile, Paraguay stunned Brazil by twenty points in the first leg of their playoff. The second leg takes place this Saturday in the Brazilian city, close to São Paulo, while Brazil's men's team attempts to emulate their women's achievement and qualify for the first time. Upcoming Qualification Clash Regardless of Paraguay manages a shock overall win, or Brazil recovers after manager their coach's departure, the lineup for November's qualifying event in Dubai will then be finalized. The Namibian team, the Belgian squad, and the Samoan side have already secured spots for the Middle Eastern showdown from 8-18 November. Global Qualifying Updates Many other teams have also earned their spots. The Hong Kong China team sealed first-time World Cup entry after beating Korea by a large margin in July, and the Zimbabwean squad will make a comeback to rugby union's most prestigious stage for the first occasion in over three decades by virtue of claiming victory in the Rugby Africa Cup. Chile's Growing Reputation The knock-on effect of Chile's qualifying triumph means that Los Condores will face Italy for the first occasion in November during the autumn internationals, taking the place of Samoa who must compete in Dubai. The global governing body's CEO called Chile an "thrilling and rapidly rising power" in announcing the forthcoming match in the Italian city. As domestic the sport promotional efforts seek larger crowds, Chilean rugby is thriving. A capacity crowd of more than twenty thousand saw the qualifying win in Viña del Mar, and head coach Pablo Lemoine has led the team on an upward trajectory since his appointment in 2018. Manager's Impressive Career The fifty-year-old former Uruguay international forward has been making an impact for many years: recruited by Bristol in the late 90s, he famously ran straight through the English defensive line to touch down at the 2003 global tournament. His impact as national coach has been equally significant: Chile have risen to 17th, their highest-ever ranking. During the previous World Cup in Europe, they were defeated in all matches, conceding 215 points and scoring 27, including a heavy defeat against England. However, they proudly found the positive aspects, and following the tournament draw in Sydney on December 3rd, Lemoine can begin planning seriously. They hosted the Scottish team last year, defeated 52-11 in front of twenty-four thousand supporters, and although they were beaten over two legs by Uruguay in the initial 2027 playoff, they managed a narrow away victory in Montevideo. The Samoan Qualifying Challenge Samoa, in contrast, have participated in all World Cup since 1991, but are currently sitting in 16th position in the men's rankings. They were winless in this year's regional tournament, leading to qualifying disappointment versus Chile, and the need to meet teams like Belgium brings additional difficulty for the proud rugby nation. Tournament Structural Updates Beyond specific teams' fortunes, it is worth noting how different the expanded tournament will look in the next edition. For the first time, there will be a round of 16 with six groups of four teams rather than four groups of five teams. Group phase risk is significantly reduced because the top four third-place sides will additionally advance. Host Nation and Standings Implications The organizers, Australia, are currently ranked seventh in the world, meaning they would fall short on a top seed and could meet either South Africa, the All Blacks, the Irish, France, the English, or the Pumas in Pool A. They may rise into the top six during a busy November, though: the English team, Italy, Ireland, and France are their fixtures, with a game versus the Japanese team in Tokyo also scheduled for October 25th. The Welsh team, on the other hand, are teetering in twelfth place, with Japan behind, and the consequences of dropping to 13th and into the third seeding group are possibly significant. American Representation and Future Tournaments An additional new dimension for the next World Cup is the presence of five teams from the Americas: Argentina, the Uruguayan side, USA, the Canadian team, and Chile – with either Paraguay or Brazil possibly making it six. From World Rugby's viewpoint, engagement from the Americas is positive, especially with the 2031 World Cup set to be staged by the USA, and the selection process for the 2035 tournament was launched last month. Current Priority First things first, though. The second installment of Brazil versus Paraguay sets up a four-way qualifying contest, along with a potential standings change throughout the European nations in the coming month. Regardless of the outcome, Chile's successful qualification for a second consecutive World Cup has undoubtedly made them as a clear success story.