Peru won its first game in South American World Cup qualifying by defeating Uruguay 1-0 on Friday.
Miguel Araujo scored the only goal with a header in the 88th minute, helping Peru move out of last place in the South American standings.
Before this match, Peru had not won in eight qualifying games, but they managed to beat Uruguay in a qualifier for the first time since 2017.
With this victory, Peru climbed above last-placed Chile.
Uruguay stayed in third place after nine matches, four points behind leader Argentina and one point behind second-placed Colombia. The top six teams will qualify for the 2026 World Cup in North America and Mexico.
In the first half, Uruguay missed several chances, with Federico Valverde, Darwin Núñez, and Maximiliano Araújo all being stopped by Peru’s goalkeeper, Pedro Gallese.
In the second half, Peru took charge of the game.
“I honestly feel responsible, due to the players we had in the midfield and in the offense, for such a small proportion of goal chances we created in the second half,” said Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa.
Uruguay will host Ecuador on Tuesday, while Peru will play against fourth-placed Brazil on the same day.
