Arturo Vidal admitted that his first meeting with Chile's head coach Ricardo Gareca went "well," and he took responsibility for his earlier criticism of the Argentinian coach’s tenure. Vidal, who has rejoined the national team for World Cup 2026 qualifiers against Peru and Venezuela, openly admitted, “I made a mistake in my comments about Gareca’s cycle. I speak as openly as I am. I'm not someone who hides things,” he said in a press conference after training at the Juan Pinto Durán Sports Complex in Santiago.

This was the first face-to-face between Vidal and Gareca since Vidal’s past criticisms, where he voiced frustration about not being called up to La Roja. Reflecting on his surprise inclusion in the squad, Vidal shared, "Of course, it surprised me given the situation, but I'm happy. I've always wanted to be here, and it's the perfect time, coming off a title win."

Fresh off winning the Chilean league with Colo Colo, Vidal believes he’s in his best shape: “I’m feeling great, and I hope to contribute and help us secure all six points.”

La Roja is set for its final two matches of the year, facing Peru away on Friday the 15th and Venezuela at home on Tuesday the 19th, marking a last chance to climb the standings after recent losses to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia.

Vidal acknowledged the team’s challenges, saying, "I’m coming back at a tough time for us,” but he’s hopeful he can help Chile. “We’re aiming to win both games and stay in the World Cup race, even though it’ll be tough.” Currently, Chile sits at the bottom of the standings with five points, seven points away from Bolivia, who hold the last playoff spot.

Regarding the upcoming match with Peru in Lima, Vidal noted, “This is a classic match for us, a rival we need to beat to stay in the race. The game will be intense since they need the win too." He added, "I’ll give everything to secure those three points."

Vidal trained with the starting lineup chosen by Gareca and is expected to line up alongside Rodrigo Echeverría from Huracán and his Colo Colo teammate Vicente Pizarro in midfield. At 37, Vidal emphasized that the priority is to "get back in the fight for qualification," saying he’s not concerned about wearing the captain's armband: "I’m just here to contribute."