Venezuela's U-20 Beach Soccer Team Advances to South American Semifinals

The Venezuelan U-20 beach soccer team, known as La Vinotinto, has officially qualified for the semifinals of the South American Championship being held in Lima, Peru. Their place in the final four was confirmed on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, through a combination of their own performance and the outcomes of matches involving their group rivals.

Venezuela secured their spot without playing a match on Wednesday, as they had a bye in the tournament schedule. The results of the games between Colombia and Peru (10-2 to Colombia) and Chile and Argentina (4-3 to Chile) mathematically guaranteed Venezuela's progression. This ensures they will advance to the next phase of the competition, regardless of their final group stage match.

La Vinotinto has had a strong showing in the tournament thus far, accumulating nine points from three victories. They defeated Peru 6-3, secured a narrow 2-1 win against Chile, and achieved a decisive 3-0 victory over Argentina. These results have placed them in a strong position within Group A.

Despite securing a semifinal berth, Venezuela is still in contention for the top spot in Group A. They are currently tied on points with Colombia, who are their next opponent. However, Colombia holds an advantage in goal difference, having scored 24 goals to Venezuela's 11. Venezuela has conceded only four goals, compared to Colombia's eight. To overtake Colombia and claim the group lead, Venezuela would need to win their upcoming match by a margin of at least nine goals.

Meanwhile, in Group B, Brazil and Paraguay also secured their semifinal places on August 26. The remaining teams in that group are Bolivia, Ecuador, and Uruguay. Both Uruguay and Argentina, who have yet to secure any points, will face each other in their final group match.