PERU, DIGNO RIVAL FOR NATIONAL TEAMS
A nearly two weeks away from the game between Peru and Chile in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, the president of the National Professional Football Association (ANFP), Pablo Milad, said that the match against the Peruvian national team is very special, because they are a direct rival to obtain a ticket to the World Cup.
"This qualifier is much more attractive due to the number of spots. And if the expectation increases, so do the rivals (...) Every point counts, and we consider Peru a direct rival for a spot in the World Cup," he declared on RPP.
Furthermore, Milad considered the Peruvian team as a very complicated rival due to the great technique that the team led by Juan Reynoso has when facing any South American team.
"Playing against Peru is a very difficult match. They are a good team, tenacious, with great technical and physical quality, and they are a worthy rival for any team," he stated.
Finally, Pablo Milad indicated that the CONMEBOL qualifiers are the most difficult in the world, as any country can defeat another in this process.
"Nowadays, there is no opponent to be underestimated, we must always have a lot of respect for the rivals (...) In South America, the qualifiers are the most difficult in the world, and any team can be beaten without any problem," he concluded.