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Uruguay World Cup 2026Getty/GOAL

World Cup 2026 Ultimate Guide: Uruguay

With Marcelo Bielsa in charge, can the two-time winners again force their way into the latter stages?

  • Uruguay finished fourth in the CONMEBOL qualifiers after what proved to be a fairly routine campaign. La Celeste secured qualification with little drama, laying the foundations through four wins in their first six matches, including an impressive away victory over reigning world champions Argentina, before managing the remainder of the campaign effectively.

    There were a few difficult spells. Between September and October 2024, for example, Uruguay failed to win any of four matches, recording three goalless draws and a 1-0 defeat in Peru. However, they quickly regained their footing, and mathematical qualification was secured in September thanks to a 3-0 home win over Peru.

    As a result, Uruguay have booked their place at the World Cup finals for the fifth consecutive tournament, marking the two-time winners’ best qualification run.

  • What to expect

    Uruguay 2026
    Getty Images

    Uruguay have endured some mixed results since securing qualification

    Uruguay have bid farewell to the generation of players that gave them Edinson Cavani, Luis Suarez and Diego Godin, and the transition away from those veterans has proven far from easy.

    However, as is often the case, they arrive at the World Cup as a dangerous outsider, even if their friendly results since securing qualification have been mixed. The nadir came in November when they were thrashed 5-1 by the United States, though they bounced back to earn a draw at Wembley against England - albeit few of the Three Lions’ first-choice players were in the team.

    There is plenty of talent running through the team, while the goal-scoring onus will fall on Darwin Nunez. However, his relationship with the national team can only be described as complicated, given he has not found the net for Uruguay in almost two years.

  • Man in charge

    FBL-WC-FRIENDLY-ENG-URU
    AFP

    Marcelo Bielsa survived calls for him to be sacked in November and will coach at his second World Cup


    Marcelo Bielsa has built a reputation for eccentricity throughout his decades-long coaching career, and at the age of 70, this could the last time he is seen on the sidelines at a major event.

    Appointed by Uruguay in May 2023, Bielsa accomplished his primary mission in guiding Uruguay to the World Cup, while he also led them to the semi-finals of the 2024 Copa America.

    And yet the ex-Leeds United boss has not escaped criticism, and there were even those calling for his head following the embarrassing friendly defeat to the U.S., after which Bielsa delivered what became an iconic press conference, making remarks such as, "I am toxic."

    'El Loco' managed to stay on, and will head to his second World Cup, 24 years on from his time in charge of Argentina. Bielsa will be hoping to avoid another group-stage exit this time around.

  • MVP

    Fede Valverde Uruguay 2026
    Getty Images

    With stars of the past having moved on, the onus is on Fede Valverde to provide moments of magic


    Part of a Real Madrid team that once featured Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric, and now boasts Kylian Mbappe and Vinícius Jr, Fede Valverde has often been overlooked when discussing the very best players at the Bernabeu.

    But as he approaches his 28th birthday, Valverde has become a complete midfielder, and a cornerstone for both Los Blancos and Uruguay. His sensational hat-trick in the first leg of Real Madrid's Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester City brought him the recognition he had long deserved after spending years in the shadow of more high-profile stars.

    For Uruguay, Valverde is unquestionably the main man now the superstars of the previous generation have moved on.

  • One to watch

    Rodrigo Zalazar Uruguay 2025
    Getty Images

    Rodrigo Zalazar could force his way into the line up after a superb season in Portugal

    While Uruguay's squad features no players under the age of 23, Rodrigo Zalazar could prove to be the team's true secret weapon thanks to a footballing evolution that has made him a perfect fit for Bielsa's high-intensity, vertical style of play. The midfielder combines relentless energy with a keen eye for goal, qualities he has already showcased in the Celeste shirt after he netted twice on his international debut.

    Zalazar is coming off the back of a sensational season with Braga, for whom he netted 23 goals while providing eight assists across all competitions, which in turn has earned him a €30 million move to Sporting CP this summer.

    The 26-year-old’s exceptional ability to time late runs into the box, combined with his outstanding physical condition, makes him the ideal, unpredictable weapon to unsettle opposition defences throughout the tournament.