CONMEBOL's South American qualifying stage determined which nations from ten teams would advance to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Key Facts
- Teams competing
- 10
- Automatic qualifiers
- Top 4 in final standings
- Play-off spot
- 5th-placed CONMEBOL vs 4th-placed CONCACAF
- Host tournament
- 2010 FIFA World Cup, South Africa
- Format
- Same as previous three CONMEBOL qualifiers
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
FIFA requires each continental confederation to conduct qualification tournaments to allocate berths for the World Cup finals. CONMEBOL retained the format used in the three preceding qualification cycles, scheduling two matches per week to limit travel burden on European-based players.
Ten South American national teams competed in a round-robin qualifying tournament for places at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. The top four teams earned automatic berths, while the fifth-placed side entered a two-legged inter-confederation play-off against the fourth-placed CONCACAF team.
The qualifying process produced four direct South American entrants to the 2010 World Cup, with a fifth potential entrant determined by the CONMEBOL–CONCACAF play-off. The format's continuity reinforced CONMEBOL's established approach to regional qualification.