
Exequiel Palacios and Argentina ran out comfortable 3-0 winners at home to Bolivia on Thursday night. It means the Albiceleste remain undefeated after eight games in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. The star of the show in Buenos Aires was once again Lionel Messi. The new Paris Saint-Germain forward scored all three goals. The Werkself’s Palacios joined the action in the 82nd minute. It means Argentina remain on course for Qatar in second place of South America’s ten-team qualification group.
However, new Leverkusen man Piero Hincapie is more unsure of his place at the next World Cup. The 19-year-old centre-back played the full 90 minutes for Ecuador as they slipped to an agonising 1-0 defeat in Uruguay. The hosts scored their winner two minutes into added time. La Tri are currently fourth in qualifying, which would be enough for an automatic place in Qatar. But Colombia are only behind them on goal difference in fifth.
Things look less auspicious for Chile and Werkself veteran Charles Aránguiz. They missed out on crucial points as they were beaten 3-1 in Colombia. Aránguiz joined the action for the start of the second half. La Roja currently sit eighth and are six points off fifth, which would see them compete in the inter-confederation play-off.

The final whistle of the current 2025/26 season marks the end of a unique partnership for Bayer 04 Leverkusen. After more than three decades of collaboration and highly eventful times, the Bundesliga football club and the private brewery Bitburger are going their separate ways.
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Around four months after their bitter exit in the DFB Pokal Round of 16, the Bayer 04 Women are once again away to Hamburger SV. On Monday night (18:00 CEST), the Werkself will not only be looking to pick up important points in the final phase of the Google Pixel Women's Bundesliga at the Volksparkstadion, but also to make amends for their defeat on penalties.
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Eleven Bayer 04 players are in action for their national teams in this final international break in 2025/26. Among others, Patrik Schick is competing with Czechia for a ticket to the World Cup in the summer. The blog on games involving the Werkself...
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A simple approach to sport with games, fun and a highlight at the end: Bayer 04 organised a very special training session for 40 participants aged between six and 27 in cooperation with the Football Association of the Middle Rhine (FVM). At the day of action for women and girls with disabilities at the Kurtekotten Performance Centre, many of the participants gained their first experience of football.
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