End of an Era: Gareca Departs as Chile's World Cup Dreams Dashed

Ricardo Gareca has announced his resignation as head coach of Chile's national football team after a disheartening 2-0 loss to Bolivia ended their 2026 World Cup aspirations.

During a post-match press conference in El Alto, Gareca expressed regret over the team's inability to produce favorable results throughout the campaign, leaving Chile at the bottom of South America's qualifiers with only 10 points.

The disappointing outcome marks Chile's third consecutive failure to reach the World Cup, following their golden era of Copa America victories in 2015 and 2016. Under Gareca, appointed in 2024, the team secured just one win in 13 official games.

(With inputs from agencies.)