Chile men's national football team

History

The early stage

The Federación de Fútbol de Chile is the second oldest South American federation, having been founded in Valparaíso on 19 June 1895. Chile was one of the four founding member nations of CONMEBOL. Together with Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, the four competed in the first South American Championship, later to be renamed the Copa América, in 1916. On 12 October 1926, Chile made the first corner-kick goal in Copa América history in a match against Bolivia. Chile was one of the thirteen national teams that competed in the inaugural World Cup in 1930. The team started off well, beating Mexico and France without conceding a goal. A 3–1 loss to Argentina in the final game left the Chilean team in second place within the group, eliminating it from the tournament. In the 1950 World Cup, Chile defeated the United States, 5–2, but nevertheless was eliminated in the first round.

The best Chilean result in the World Cup was third place in 1962, as the host nation. Chile lost 2–4 to the eventual champion Brazil in a semi-final but went on to defeat Yugoslavia 1–0 to win the third place. Chilean players made two World Cup firsts: the first player to miss a World Cup penalty kick was the Chilean Guillermo Subiabre, in a 1930 FIFA World Cup match against France, and Carlos Caszely of Chile became the first player to be sent off with a red card, during a match against West Germany at the 1974 World Cup.

Maracanazo Scandal and punishment (1989 - 1994)

A scandal known as "El Maracanazo" occurred on 3 September 1989. At a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at Rio de Janeiro's Maracanã stadium, Brazil led Chile 1–0 and La Roja needed to win. Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas fell to the pitch with an apparent injury in his forehead. A firework had been thrown from the stands by a Brazilian fan named Rosenery Mello do Nascimento and was smouldering about a yard away. After Rojas was carried off the pitch, the Chilean players and coaches claimed that conditions were unsafe and they refused to resume the game, so the match was abandoned. However, a video footage of the match later showed that the firework had not made any contact to Rojas, and examinations of his injury determined it to be caused by a cut, and not from the impact of any firework, as there were no traces of gunpowder; indeed, Rojas would later confess he had a razor concealed in his glove, and it was part of a plan to cancel the match and prevent Brazil's qualification over Chile. Based on this evidence, FIFA decided to award the victory to Brazil; meanwhile, Chile was banned from the 1990 World Cup and the qualifiers for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and Rojas himself was banned for life, although an amnesty was granted in 2001.

1998 World Cup and 2000 Olympic Games (1996 - 2000)

Chile's qualification for the 1998 World Cup in France marked the national team's return to the tournament after a 16-year absence. Coached by Nelson Acosta, the team had an inconsistent start to the South American qualifiers, but staged a remarkable comeback thanks to their strength at home and the outstanding performance of the attacking duo of Iván Zamorano and Marcelo Salas, who scored 23 of the team's 32 goals. Chile finished fourth, tied on points with Peru but ahead on goal difference, securing their qualification with a convincing 3-0 victory over Bolivia.

At the 1998 World Cup in France, Chile put on a remarkable performance, albeit one marked by frustration. They debuted with a 2-2 draw against Italy after coming from behind with two goals from Marcelo Salas, but just when it seemed they would secure a historic victory, the referee awarded a controversial penalty when the ball struck Ronald Fuentes' hand in the final minutes. Roberto Baggio converted the spot kick to level the score. In their second match, Chile again took the lead thanks to Salas against Austria, but conceded a 93rd-minute equalizer, narrowly missing out on early qualification. In their final group stage match, they drew 1-1 with Cameroon, with an exquisite free-kick goal by José Luis Sierra, securing their place in the round of 16 with three draws. There, they faced the powerful Brazil, the reigning champions, and were defeated 4-1 despite another goal from Salas.

At the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, Chile had one of the most memorable campaigns in its history. After topping the group stage with victories over Morocco (4-1) and Spain (3-1), despite a loss to South Korea (0-1), Chile eliminated Nigeria 2-1 in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals. In the semifinals, they lost 1-0 to Cameroon in a hard-fought match, but recovered with a resounding 2-0 victory over the United States in the third-place game, thanks to two goals from Iván Zamorano, securing the bronze medal—the first Olympic medal in the history of Chilean football and one of the most outstanding performances by the national team in international competitions. Zamorano also was the top goal scorer of the tournament.

Crisis and scandals (2001 - 2007)

After years of strong performance, the national team experienced a marked decline. They finished last in the qualifiers for the 2002 Korea Japan World Cup. Nelson Acosta continued as coach, but was replaced by Pedro García and then Jorge Garcés. In the 2001 Copa América, they achieved victories against Ecuador and Venezuela, but lost to Mexico in the quarterfinals. Juvenal Olmos was the coach for the new cycle, but the poor results continued. In the 2004 Copa América, they failed to advance beyond the group stage, and they also failed to qualify for the 2006 Germany World Cup finishing in 7th place.

Acosta returned as coach, however, in 2006 during a friendly tour of Dublin, Ireland, a scandal erupted within the national team when the coach overheard women at the team's training camp at night during off-hours. Supposedly, they were fans, but Acosta subsequently dismissed Reinaldo Navia and Mark González from the team.

During the 2007 Copa América tournament, the Chilean Football Federation banned six of the national team players, because of "internal indiscipline", for 20 international matches each as they damaged the team hotel property while under the influence of alcohol. The players banned were captain Jorge Valdivia, defenders Álvaro Ormeño, Rodrigo Tello, Jorge Vargas, Pablo Contreras and striker Reinaldo Navia. Chile had qualified to the quarter-finals after a 3–2 win against Ecuador, and a 0–0 draw against Mexico. But two losses, one of those being a 6–1 defeat against Brazil, sealed Acosta's fate. Former Argentina manager Marcelo Bielsa was given the task of becoming the Chile national team manager in preparation for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. Ormeño and Navia were never called up again.

Golden generation (2008 - 2019)

On 16 October 2008, Chile beat Argentina 1–0 for the first time in a qualifying competition, making history. Marcelo Bielsa was acclaimed for this accomplishment by both Chilean and Argentinian people. This match was seen as one of the reasons that ended Alfio Basile's tenure as the Argentina coach. After finishing second place at the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Chile qualified for the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa after 12 years absence in good form, with wins to Colombia (4-2), Paraguay (2-0) and Perú (3-1) as visit, and Humberto Suazo being the top goal scorer of the tournament.

The team later reached to the round of 16 at the tournament after two wins against Honduras and Switzerland in the group stage. Despite losing 0–3 to Brazil in the round of 16, marking a good come back to the competition finishing in 10th place.

Marcelo Bielsa still extended his contract with the Chile national team until 2015. Bielsa stated that he would leave his position if Jorge Segovia were elected as President of the Chilean Football Federation. He followed through on this threat, despite Segovia's election being annulled, and resigned in February 2011. Claudio Borghi then became Chile's manager in March 2011. At the 2011 Copa América Chile was upset by Venezuela in the quarterfinals and after a string of bad performances and harsh criticisms, Claudio Borghi stepped down as Chile's manager in November 2012.

A new manager, Jorge Sampaoli, was appointed in December 2012. A disciple of Marcelo Bielsa, Jorge Sampaoli broke new records for La Roja by winning 10, drawing 3, and losing only 3 of 15 games as the head coach of the Chile national team. His coaching era witnessed a rise of the golden generation of Chilean football, with numerous talents such as Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal, Claudio Bravo, Gary Medel, Eduardo Vargas, Mauricio Isla, Jorge Valdivia, Matías Fernández, Charles Aránguiz, Jean Beausejour, and Marcelo Díaz among others reaching their prime.

With Sampaoli, Chile were able to qualify for 2014 FIFA World Cup by finishing third in the qualifier. The team caused a strong impression by eliminating the defending champion Spain by 2–0 win with goals from Vargas and Aranguiz. Chile also won at the group stage 3–1 against Australia with Beausejour scoring for the second time in a row in a World Cup, a record, and reaching the round of 16, despite losing 0–2 to the Netherlands. Chile held a dramatic 1–1 draw against the host nation Brazil after a powerful shot from Mauricio Pinilla that hit the post in the 119th minute of extra time. Then only lost 2–3 on the penalty shoot-out, eventually ranked as 9th in the tournament. This ment the third time in a row that Chile lost to Brazil in the round of 16 after their participation in the 1998, 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

Struggles in generational change (2019−present)

At the 2021 Copa America, Chile advanced to the quarter-finals, where the team lost 0–1 to Brazil. Chile also failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, finishing seventh in the standings with five wins, four draws, and nine losses.

At the 2024 Copa America, Chile was eliminated in the group stage for the first time since 2004 with only 2 points and was unable to score a goal in the tournament. The 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier was one of the Chilean's worst qualifiers when the team failed to qualify for the third straight World Cup by standing at the bottom with only two wins, five draws and eleven losses.

Team image

The team's home kit consists of a red jersey, blue shorts, and either red or white socks. The away jersey, meanwhile, features a white jersey, white shorts, and blue socks. The color scheme of red, white, and blue that was featured in the 1947 South American Championship, the precursor of the Copa América, has remained in place since. In 2016, red shorts were introduced as an option for the first time.

In August 2010, Puma acquired the contract to be the official kit supplier for the Chilean team from 2011 to 2015, paying US$ 3 million per year, also providing referees' kits and balls for domestic club competitions. The previous kit supplier, from 2004 to 2010 including the 2010 World Cup, was Brooks Sports.

Puma company ended its link after the 2015 Copa América with the tender for the new brand that will outfit the team since August 2015. This procedure was won by the American company Nike. The contract with Nike was supposed to last until the 2022 FIFA World Cup, but ended prematurely when the Chilean Football Federation sued Nike for missing payments in 2021. This dispute lead to Chile blocking the Nike patch with a flag during the 2021 Copa América. On 1 September 2021, Adidas were announced as the national team kit supplier until 2026. On June 18, 2026, it was confirmed that Marathon would be the official kit supplier for the national team starting in 2027.

Home stadium

The Chile national team plays their qualifying matches at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos located in Santiago, Chile and can be found at the commune of Ñuñoa. The construction of the stadium began in February 1937, and opened on 3 December 1938. The current official registered capacity is of 49,000 spectators, but has surpassed the 75,000 mark on many occasions when the match is of high demand. An example would be the 1962 FIFA World Cup semi-final match Chile vs. Brazil, where over 76,000 spectators viewed the game. The highest attendance ever was 85,262 on 26 December 1962, for a game between Universidad Católica and Universidad de Chile.

It has hosted four Copa América finals, the final of the 1962 FIFA World Cup and the final to the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Rivalries

The Chile national team has no special rivalry in South America or at Latin American level; however, two matches are considered important, although neither is a special rivalry: those are against Argentina and Peru.

Peru

The Chile–Peru football rivalry is known in Spanish as the Clásico del Pacífico ("Pacific Derby"). The rivalry is considered to be one of the fiercest rivalries in the world, with CNN World Sport editor Greg Duke ranking it among the top ten football rivalries in the world. The rivalry between Chile and Peru stems from historical politics, border disputes, and the War of the Pacific, with the rivalry producing some of the most intense matches in South American footballing history.

Chile first faced Peru in the 1935 South American Championship, losing 1–0.

Sponsors

ACHS (2023–2026)

Adidas (since 2021)

BCI (2023–2026)

Mega (TV broadcaster of Chile's qualifying and friendly matches) (2026–2030)

Cristal (since 2007)

Gatorade (2023–2026)

McDonald's (2023–2026)

MG Motor (2023–2026)

PedidosYa (2023–2026)

SꓘY (2023–2026)

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

Win

Draw

Loss

Fixture

Coaching staff

As of 31 December 2025

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up to the squad for the friendly matches against Canada and United States on 26 and 29 September, respectively, and Mexico on 6 October 2026.

Caps and goals updated as of 9 June 2026, after the match against DR Congo.

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up in the last twelve months.

Player records

As of 10 June 2025

Players in bold are still active with Chile.

Captains

Sergio Navarro (1961–1962)

Leonel Sánchez (1963–1969)

Francisco Valdés (1969–1974)

Elías Figueroa (1974–1982)

Carlos Caszely (1982–1985)

Roberto Rojas (1985–1989)

Jaime Pizarro (1990–1993)

Iván Zamorano (1993–2001)

Marcelo Salas (2001–2007)

David Pizarro (2002–2005)

Claudio Bravo (2008–2024)

Gary Medel (2018-2021)

Alexis Sánchez (2024–2025)

Gabriel Suazo (2025–present)

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place

Honours

Global

FIFA World Cup

Third place (1): 1962

FIFA Confederations Cup

Runners-up (1): 2017

Continental

South American Championship / Copa América

Champions (2): 2015, 2016

Runners-up (4): 1955, 1956, 1979, 1987

Third place (5): 1926, 1941, 1945, 1967, 1991

Panamerican Championship1

Runners-up (1): 1952

Friendly

Copa Bernardo O'Higgins (2): 1957, 1966s

Copa del Pacífico (7): 1965, 1968, 1971s, 1983, 1988, 2006, 2012

Copa Juan Pinto Durán (2): 1971, 1979

Copa Carlos Dittborn (1): 1973

Copa Leoncio Provoste (1): 1973

Copa Acosta Ñu (1): 1974

Indonesian Independence Cup (1): 1985

Copa Teixeira (1): 1990s

Canada Cup (1): 1995

Copa Ciudad de Valparaíso (1): 2000

China Cup (1): 2017

Summary

Notes

Official continental competition organized by PFC. It was a unified confederation of the Americas, which was formed by NAFC, CCCF and CONMEBOL.

s Shared titles.