Valledupar, June 8, 2026. The path to the hemispheric title in blind football has been set. During the official draw, the matchups were established that will mark the historic debut of this sport within the framework of the II Parasur American Games Valledupar 2026.
The event, attended by Games Director Elmer Jiménez Silva, was led by Mariano Travaglino, IBSA Sport Managerat IBSA and International Technical Delegate (ITD) for blind soccer at the Games, who led the process that established the official competition schedule, to be played at the Parasuramericana at the Agustín Codazzi Sports Village.
During his remarks, Elmer Jiménez highlighted the significance for the organization of reaching this key moment in the process leading up to the Games. “We are immensely proud to officially share this moment with the entire South American Paralympic family. Valledupar 2026 awaits you, Colombia awaits you, and especially the Codazzi sub-venue, because we have the desire and the dream of hosting the best in history,” said the Games director.
For his part, Mariano Travaglino highlighted the work carried out by the organizing committee and the conditions found during technical visits to the venues and accommodation sites:&“I want to thank the Paralympic Committee of the Americas and especially the organizing committee in Valledupar. We have been touring the facilities, and I can assure you that both the sports venues and the places where the athletes will be staying are of the highest standard,” said the DTI.
The IBSA representative added that the organizing committee is prepared to deliver a competition befitting the caliber of the athletes participating in the tournament.
Historic debut of the sound ball at the Parasur American Games
Valledupar 2026 will mark a turning point for blind soccer in South America. Unlike the first edition of the Parasur-American Games, held in Santiago, Chile, in 2014, this discipline was not part of the sports program, so the competition to be held at Agustín Codazzi will crown the first champion of this multisport event.
The tournament will bring together six national teams: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Panama, the latter as a guest country at the Games. Excitement is high due to the presence of three of the four teams that made the medal podium at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. Argentina will arrive as the silver medalist, Brazil as the bronze medalist, and Colombia as the fourth-ranked team in the world, making the championship a true elite event for the continent.
Joining them are Peru, which has shown significant competitive progress over the last few international cycles; Chile, which arrives with a generation that is generating great anticipation among technical circles; and Panama, which will seek to demonstrate the growth of the sport in Central America and the Caribbean.
World-Class Classics: Here’s How It Will Play Out
The draw produced several matchups that are already generating excitement among fans.
The schedule includes the South American classic between Brazil and Argentina, set for July 11, as well as the matches between Colombia and Brazil on July 10, and Colombia versus Argentina on July 12, matchesthat will bring together three of the strongest national teams on the planet and regular contenders in major international competitions.
The tournament will be played in a single-round, round-robin format. The six teams will play five consecutive matchdays between July 9 and 13, with three matches scheduled daily at 9:00 a.m., 4:00 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. Once the group stage concludes, Tuesday, July 14, will be a rest day for the teams. Subsequently, on Wednesday, July 15, the finals will be played to determine the tournament’s podium finishers. The teams that finish the group stage in first and second place in the overall standings will compete for the gold medal, while the teams in third and fourth place will compete for the bronze medal.
More than a title: the ticket to Lima 2027
In addition to the honor of becoming the first Parapan American champion in blind soccer, the tournament offers a sporting incentive of enormous international significance. The team that wins the gold medal will automatically qualify for the 2027 Parapan American Games in Lima, a situation that guarantees a high level of intensity and competitiveness throughout the competition.
Blind soccer is one of the most representative disciplines of the international Paralympic movement. Each team consists of five players on the field, four of whom have visual impairments and the goalkeeper who does not have a visual impairment, responsible for guiding the defensive zone.&
The sport demands a unique combination of technique, spatial awareness, communication, and teamwork. The ball has an internal sound chamber, which allows players to identify its location and develop the play, turning every match into a demonstration of skill, strategy, and technical quality.
| Date | Time | Match / Matchday |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, July 9 | 9:00 a.m. | Colombia vs. Peru |
| Thursday, July 9 | 4:00 p.m. | Brazil vs. Panama |
| Thursday, July 9 | 6:30 p.m. | Argentina vs. Chile |
| Friday, July 10 | 9:00 a.m. | Colombia vs. Brazil |
| Friday, July 10 | 4:00 p.m. | Peru vs. Argentina |
| Friday, July 10 | 6:30 p.m. | Panama vs. Chile |
| Saturday, July 11 | 9:00 a.m. | Brazil vs. Argentina |
| Saturday, July 11 | 4:00 p.m. | Colombia vs. Panama |
| Saturday, July 11 | 6:30 p.m. | Peru vs. Chile |
| Sunday, July 12 | 9:00 a.m. | Colombia vs. Argentina |
| Sunday, July 12 | 4:00 p.m. | Peru vs. Panama |
| Sunday, July 12 | 6:30 p.m. | Brazil vs. Chile |
| Monday, July 13 | 9:00 a.m. | Panama vs. Argentina |
| Monday, July 13 | 4:00 p.m. | Peru vs. Brazil |
| Monday, July 13 | 6:30 p.m. | Colombia vs. Chile |
| Tuesday, July 14 | – | Rest day |
| Wednesday, July 15, 2026 | To be determined | Bronze medal match |
| Wednesday, July 15, 2026 | To be determined | Parasuramerican Grand Final |
With world-class players, historic rivalries, and a direct spot at Lima 2027 on the line, blind soccer promises to be one of the most exciting competitions at the II Parasur American Games Valledupar 2026. From July 9 to 15, the Agustín Codazzi sub-venue will be the setting where the history of the Parasuramerican champions in this discipline will begin to be written.
