By Louis Smith.
2026 could be a huge year for Bolivia. They’re set to compete in the Intercontinental Playoffs in March, with their sights firmly set on securing a first World Cup qualification since 1994.
They secured their place in the playoffs with a sixth-place finish from their 18 qualification matches. Bolivia won six, drew two, and lost ten, collecting 20 points in total and finishing two points ahead of Venezuela in eighth. That was enough to seal their spot in the Intercontinental Playoffs.
Bolivia will now face Suriname in the semi-final, which will be played in Guadalupe, Mexico. Should they come through that tie, they will then take on Iraq in the final, with a place at the 2026 World Cup finals on the line.
Diego Daniel Medina Román, better known as Diego Medina, will be hoping to help Bolivia end 32 years of pain. Medina began playing football in his hometown of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, one of Bolivia’s fastest-growing cities.
His first venture into football came playing with his brother outside one of Bolivia’s largest stadiums, before he joined the youth ranks of local side Tahuichi FC, home of the famous Tahuichi Academy, which hosts one of the largest youth football tournaments in the world.
“My earliest memories are training with my brother outside the Tahuichi stadium when I was very young, together with my mother, who is very important in my life,” Diego Medina tells WFi.
“My time at Tahuchi was really good. I experienced many beautiful moments. As a child, I had the chance to travel to Paraguay and Argentina with the Tahuichi academy, and that helped me grow a lot.
“I had many coaches who helped in my development, but I especially remember one called Jesús Rojas. I had him in the final stage of my youth formation, and he stayed with me; he gave me confidence and helped shape my character.”
Medina joined the academy aged eight and spent 11 years developing as a footballer at one of the best academies in the country. That environment allowed him to gain experience not only in Bolivia but also in international competitions, having travelled to Paraguay and Argentina with Tahuichi, experiences that played a key role in his early development.
In 2021, after a successful trial, Medina joined one of Bolivia’s top clubs, Always Ready, who play out of the capital, La Paz, which is a 16-hour car journey from his hometown of Santa Cruz de la Sierra
In the same year, the defender would make his professional debut against Tomayapo.
After making his debut in 2021, Medina went on to feature nine times for the Bolivian Primera División side during his first season. Just a year later, while still with Always Ready, he would get his first taste of continental football as the club competed in the Copa Libertadores.
However, the most impressive milestone for Medina arrived in September 2022, when he made his senior debut for the Bolivian national team in a 2–0 defeat to Senegal. Not bad for a player who had burst onto the scene and spent just a year in professional football before earning international recognition.
“It was a unique moment and a dream for me. From the first call-up, I felt very happy, and I don’t want to leave the national team now,” he said.
Back at club level, his second season with Always Ready saw him become a more regular presence, playing 36 times and scoring twice for the Bolivian outfit.
“In 2021, I went to trials at Always Ready and did pre-season with them. It was a really good experience because it was the first time I’d been with a professional team. After pre-season, they told me I had been offered a contract,” he says.
“At the beginning, in the first year, it was difficult for me to adapt. In the following season, I felt much better — it was a good season — and from there I kept growing within the team.”
Whilst continuing to develop as a footballer and a club and international level, Medina spent four and a half seasons at Always Ready, making 144 appearances, before moving on, not just to a new club, but to a new country and a completely new challenge by joining Bulgarian side, CSKA 1948 Sofia in 2025.
Medina is currently in his first season in European football. So far, he has featured 15 times for the club, who sit second in the league table after a solid start to the campaign, collecting 37 points from 19 matches.
The Bolivian has not only had to adapt to a new country, but also to a new brand of football. Bulgarian football presents a different challenge compared to what he was used to back home in Bolivia, particularly in terms of intensity and pace.
One factor working in Medina’s favour is the presence of several South Americans within the squad and a fellow Bolivian, José Martínez, all of whom have helped him settle into life at the club.
“I was very happy. Moving to Europe was something I had been looking for for a long time, and CSKA 1948 gave me that opportunity,” he explained. “The biggest challenge was the intensity of the game here; it’s much quicker compared to the Bolivian league.”
“I arrived at the club with a Bolivian friend, and that was really important for my adaptation to the country.”
2026 promises to be an even bigger year for Medina, who will be focused on building on what has been a solid start at club level, while also keeping one eye firmly on the 2026 World Cup and Bolivia’s upcoming qualifying playoffs.
As mentioned earlier, Bolivia will compete in the intercontinental playoffs in March, with a place at the World Cup on the line.
Medina concluded by reflecting on the South American World Cup qualification campaign with Bolivia, before outlining his goals and objectives for the season.
“I feel it was a good campaign. For many of us, it was the first World Cup qualification campaign we’ve played in, and we believe we did well.
“I feel good, with a lot of desire and enthusiasm. Right now, I’m preparing for the second half of the season with my club and also preparing myself for the national team.
“Reaching the World Cup would mean a lot to be able to help my national team achieve that objective — it would be something unique and impossible to describe.”