That expanded field means Argentina is already well on its way to a World Cup return, but the table is tightening as Brazil continue to recover after a slow start, while Colombia and Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay are dangerous but have had hiccups and Bolivia had won three in a row to thicken the plot in the race for the final

Argentine President Javier Milei met with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Tuesday to discuss closer trade ties with the Asian powerhouse, his office said, despite previous criticism of the communist nation.