Venezuela sacks coach Batista after FIFA World Cup qualifying failure

Venezuela's national football team suffered a 6-3 defeat against Colombia on Tuesday, eliminating their chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Following the loss, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called for a restructuring of the technical staff, leading to the dismissal of head coach Fernando Batista and his entire backroom staff on Wednesday.

Maduro described the defeat as painful and emphasized the need for reorganization in strategy and approach for the team, known as the Vinotinto.

The expansion of the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams had initially raised hopes for Venezuela, the only CONMEBOL team never to qualify, but the loss to Colombia allowed Bolivia to secure the intercontinental playoff spot instead.

In a related development, Peru also fired their coach, Oscar Ibanez, after finishing the qualifiers with a poor record of two wins and ten losses in 18 matches.