Mansion Sports – Barcelona and Brazil forward Raphinha has voiced strong criticism of Bolivia’s home stadium in El Alto following Brazil’s 0–1 loss in the latest South American World Cup qualifier.

Raphinha Questions the Altitude Advantage

Coming off the bench for the final half-hour, Raphinha argued that Bolivia enjoys an unfair edge by playing at extreme altitude, where oxygen levels are significantly lower than in most stadiums.

He explained that visiting teams such as Brazil struggle to run and maintain stamina under such conditions.

“When a team forces you to play at 4,000 meters above sea level just to secure a win, I think it puts the opposition at a massive disadvantage,” Raphinha told Sport. “Then, in a balanced match like the one we played, the referee goes on to award a penalty. That made our task on the pitch even harder.”

Still, some observers contend that Bolivia is merely capitalizing on the natural advantages available to them, particularly given their limited financial resources and smaller player pool compared to footballing giants like Brazil and Argentina.

A Historic Victory for Bolivia

The 1–0 result marked a landmark win for Bolivia, ensuring their spot in the World Cup play-off round. 

They will face a representative from Asia or Oceania for a chance to qualify for the final tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Should they advance, it would be Bolivia’s first World Cup appearance in 32 years.

Bolivia also defended the legitimacy of their win, noting that despite the penalty controversy, the statistics supported their dominance: 23 shots compared to Brazil’s 10, with 10 on target against just three.

Elsewhere, Venezuela squandered their chance to reach the play-off, collapsing 3–6 at home to Colombia despite leading twice. The defeat prompted head coach Fernando Batista to apologize and announce his resignation.

Barcelona’s Concerns Over Raphinha’s Condition

Like other clubs with players competing in Bolivia, Barcelona is now concerned about the physical toll on Raphinha due to the extreme altitude.

There are no guarantees about his fitness upon returning to Catalunya, potentially opening the door for Marcus Rashford to step into the Blaugrana frontline in the upcoming weekend fixture.