Bolivia vs. Surinam: where and when will the World Cup 2026 playoff be played?
Find out when and where Bolivia’s World Cup playoff against Surinam will take place as the nation looks to return to the finals for the first time since 1994
Bolivia has the chance to become CONMEBOL’s seventh participant in the upcoming 2026 World Cup as it begins the playoff stage of qualifying against Surinam.
Bolivia has qualified for the World Cup finals on three occasions, in 1930, 1950 and 1994.
The nation finished seventh in the CONMEBOL qualifiers with 20 points from its 18 games, narrowly beating out Venezuela for the playoff spot.
Opponent Surinam is aiming to qualify for its first-ever finals.
The winner of Bolivia vs Surinam will advance to the final stage of the interconfederation playoff, where Iraq awaits.
When does Bolivia vs Surinam kick off?
The interconfederation playoffs for the 2026 World Cup begin on March 26.
Bolivia and Surinam will kick off their semi-final at 5pm local time that day in the Estadio BBVA, home of Liga MX side Monterrey. As one of the three host nations for the 2026 World Cup Mexico will host all four interconfederation playoffs scheduled.
If Bolivia should win its semi-final, it will progress to the final against Iraq on March 31, again to be played at the Estadio BBVA.
Bolivia vs Surinam: Date, venue, kick-off time
Date: March 26, 2026
Venue: Estadio BBVA, Monterrey, Mexico
Kick-off time: 5pm local (6pm ET, 7pm Argentina/Brazil, 11pm BST)
Bolivia vs. Surinam: Previous meetings
This will be the first time that Bolivia and Surinam meet in a FIFA-sanctioned international game.
Have Bolivia and Surinam played at a World Cup finals?
Bolivia is trying to qualify for its fourth World Cup finals. The nation’s last appearance at a World Cup also featured the United States as a host country, back in 1994.
Surinam has never qualified for a World Cup finals. The closest the team came prior to 2026 was in the build-up to the 1978 World Cup, where it battled through to the final stage of the Caribbean Championship (which also acted as CONCACAF’s qualifying competition) before finishing last in the group.
1930: The first World Cup
Bolivia was one of 13 teams to take up a spot at the inaugural World Cup held in Uruguay. Drawn in Group 2 of the competition, the nation lost both of its games, going down 4-0 to Yugoslavia and Brazil.
1950: Back in Brazil
Twenty years after that first appearance, Bolivia returned to the World Cup stage in Brazil. This time it was drawn in a two-team group alongside CONMEBOL rival Uruguay.
Bolivia’s sole match in 1950 ended in heavy defeat as it was beaten 8-0 by Uruguay, who would go on to win the tournament over host Brazil.
1994: Returning to the world stage
The Verde fought through to USA ‘94 after an historic qualifying campaign, marking the first time the country had successfully qualified for a World Cup finals.
At the finals themselves Bolivia did well to hold reigning champion Germany, losing by a single goal that came from Jurgen Klinsmann. In the following game the Verde earned its first-ever World Cup point in a scoreless draw against South Korea. The nation rounded off its tournament by losing 3-1 to Spain and was eliminated in the first round.
Complete World Cup finals record: Six games played, one draw, five defeats, two goals scored, 20 goals conceded.
Best World Cup finish: First round (three occasions)
