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As many supporters in the UK focus on their clubs' season-opening fortunes or discuss upcoming fall test matches, the contest for World Cup 2027 qualifying rages on at full pace.

Chile's Historic Accomplishment

Chile secured their second consecutive appearance at the tournament with a sensational qualifying win over Samoa last month, leaving only one place left up for grabs for the host nation in two years. At the same time, Paraguay surprised Brazil by twenty points in the opening match of their playoff.

The return match takes place this Saturday in the Brazilian city, close to São Paulo, as Brazil's men's team attempts to follow the women's success and qualify for the first time.

Upcoming Qualification Clash

Whether Paraguay completes a surprise aggregate win, or Brazil recovers after manager Emiliano Caffera's departure, the participants for November's qualifying event in Dubai will then be finalized. The Namibian team, Belgium, and the Samoan side are already confirmed their places for the Middle Eastern competition from 8-18 November.

Worldwide Qualifying Developments

Several additional nations have also earned their places. The Hong Kong China team sealed maiden World Cup entry after beating Korea by a large margin in July, while the Zimbabwean squad will make a comeback to the sport's most prestigious stage for the first occasion in over three decades after winning the Rugby Africa Cup.

Chile's Rising Profile

The knock-on effect of Chile's qualifying triumph ensures that Los Condores will face Italy for the first occasion next month during the fall test series, taking the place of Samoa who are obligated to compete in the Dubai tournament.

World Rugby's CEO called Chile an "exciting and fast-emerging power" in confirming the forthcoming fixture in Genoa. While domestic rugby markets seek larger crowds, Chilean rugby is buoyant. A sell-out audience of more than twenty thousand saw the qualifying win in Viña del Mar, and head coach Pablo Lemoine has guided the team on an upward trajectory since taking over in recent years.

Coach's Notable Legacy

The 50-year-old former Uruguayan forward has been making an impact for many years: recruited by the English club in the late 90s, he famously broke through the English defensive line to touch down at the 2003 global tournament.

His impact as national coach has been similarly powerful: Chile have climbed to seventeenth place, their highest-ever ranking. During the previous tournament in Europe, they were beaten in all matches, allowing over two hundred points and registering twenty-seven, featuring a heavy defeat to England.

Nevertheless, they confidently took the positives, and following the 2027 draw in Australia on 3 December, Lemoine can begin planning in earnest. They hosted the Scottish team last year, losing by a significant margin before twenty-four thousand supporters, and while they were beaten over two legs by the Uruguayan side in the initial qualifying round, they achieved a 21-18 away victory in the Uruguayan capital.

Samoa's Qualification Challenge

The Samoan team, in contrast, have participated in all Rugby World Cup for decades, but are currently sitting in sixteenth place in the global rankings. They were without a victory in this year's regional tournament, resulting in playoff misery against Chile, and the requirement to meet teams like Belgium adds additional challenge for the rugby-loving country.

Competition Format Changes

Apart from individual nations' fortunes, it is worth noting how different the expanded competition will appear in the next edition. For the first occasion, there will be a knockout stage with six pools of four instead of four groups of five. Group phase risk is much lower because the top four third-place sides will also advance.

Host Nation and Standings Consequences

The hosts, the Australian team, are now placed seventh in the global rankings, which means they would fall short on top seeding and could meet one of the Springboks, the All Blacks, Ireland, France, England, or the Pumas in Pool A. They may rise into the top six during a busy November, though: the English team, the Italian side, Ireland, and the French team are their fixtures, with a game against Japan in Tokyo also planned for October 25th.

Wales, meanwhile, are teetering in 12th, with Japan behind, and the implications of falling to thirteenth and into the third seeding group are potentially severe.

American Representation and Future Tournaments

An additional fresh aspect for 2027 is the presence of five nations from the Americas: the Argentine team, the Uruguayan side, the United States, Canada, and Chile – with Paraguay or Brazil possibly making it six. From World Rugby's perspective, American interest is positive, especially with the 2031 tournament scheduled to be hosted by the USA, and the host selection for the 2035 tournament was initiated recently.

Immediate Priority

First things first, however. The return match of Brazil versus Paraguay sets up a four-team qualifying contest, along with a potential standings change throughout the European nations in November. No matter the outcome, Chile's qualification for a second Rugby World Cup has already made them as a clear success story.