Chile’s head coach Ricardo Gareca has yielded to public demand, bringing Arturo Vidal back into the squad for their crucial World Cup 2026 qualifiers, where Chile will fight for their remaining chances against Peru and Venezuela.

Vidal, who just won the league with Colo Colo, has had a rocky season and a tense relationship with Gareca. He openly criticized the coach for excluding him and other veterans of Chile’s "Golden Generation" — a group that lifted the Copa América in 2015 and 2016. Since then, Chile has struggled, failing to qualify for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and facing lackluster results in recent Copa América tournaments. Currently, Chile sits at the bottom of the South American qualifiers with only five points, far from even a playoff spot.

Vidal, called up due to an injury to Huracán’s Williams Alarcón, had previously stated he wouldn’t play for La Roja as long as Gareca was in charge. Despite Vidal’s harsh words, Gareca had remained professional, insisting all players were still in consideration. 

Chile now faces its last double-header of the year, away against Peru on Friday, November 15, and at home against Venezuela on Tuesday, November 19, hoping to recover from previous losses to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia.

The former Barcelona, Inter, and Bayern Munich player, now 37, will be wearing La Roja once again. His last appearance was in September 2023 under coach Eduardo Berizzo, when he played for Athletico Paranaense but suffered a knee injury against Colombia, sidelining him for months. During his recovery, Vidal returned to Chile to rejoin Colo Colo, marking a homecoming after 17 years abroad. With Colo Colo, he led the club to a Copa Libertadores quarterfinal and their 34th league title, fueling fan and media calls for his return to the national team.

“This is a dream come true. I may have won a lot, but nothing compares to this. To come home, be a champion at 37, I can only give thanks,” Vidal said after the title. Now, he faces the challenge of helping Chile stay in contention for World Cup qualification, with La Roja currently seven points behind Bolivia, who holds the seventh-place playoff spot.