On 1 February, four RPL players featured in 2022 World Cup qualifiers in Asia and South America.

Asia, 3rd round

Syria 0-2 South Korea

Rubin midfielder Hwang In-beom spent the entire game on the pitch and picked up a yellow card. Thanks to the victory over Syria, South Korea secured second place in Group A with 20 points after eight games, and thus direct access to the 2022 World Cup Finals. First place in the group was earned by Iran. South Korea will play at their tenth World Cup in a row. In the spring, Paulo Bento's team will complete the third round of qualifiers with matches against Iran (24 March) and the UAE (29 March).

South America

Argentina 1-0 Colombia

Zenit midfielder Wilmar Barrios played 75 minutes against Argentina. Colombia extended their winless streak in the qualifiers to seven games, during which time the team also failed to score a single goal. In the South American zone table, Colombia have dropped to seventh place: four points separate them from fifth position (which would qualify them for the 2022 World Cup intercontinental play-offs), and five points from fourth (direct qualification for the Finals). Colombia have to play Bolivia (25 March) and Venezuela (29 March).

Brazil 4-0 Paraguay

Dynamo defender Fabian Balbuena started the match with the captain's armband for the first time since 2019, and spent the entire 90 minutes on the pitch. Krasnodar newcomer Junior Alonso also played the entire match and was booked, because of which he will miss the next game. Paraguay have now lost their chance to reach the World Cup both directly and through the playoffs. After 16 matches, the team is in ninth place with 13 points. In the spring, Paraguay will play their remaining qualifiers against Ecuador (25 March) and Peru (29 March).

Photo: Paraguayan Football Association