The plan

Marcelo Bielsa has left his indelible mark on this Uruguay team. His 4-3-3 system is built for direct football, allowing his side to press their opponents high up the field and chase the ball at all times. There is no let-up in attacking when Uruguay have possession themselves.

It has been a rollercoaster ride in the three years that the former Leeds manager has been in charge, which have included a World Cup qualifying campaign (finishing fourth out of 10 in the Conmebol league) and the 2024 Copa América (finishing third). There was the extraordinary football played in the second half of 2023, when Argentina and Brazil were beaten, before Uruguay went on a dismal run of just one win in 12 (drawing a blank nine times) between July 2024 and June 2025. A 5-1 thrashing at the hands of the United States last November led to serious questions being asked of Bielsa. Faith was more or less restored in March when Uruguay drew 1-1 with England and 0-0 with Algeria.

Uruguay do not have the scoring power of old. Luis Suárez, who has more goals than anyone else, made himself unavailable for selection after a falling-out with Bielsa at the end of 2024, although he backtracked on that a few weeks before the World Cup to say he would “never say no to the national team”. With Edinson Cavani retiring after the last World Cup in Qatar, Bielsa is expected to pin his goalscoring hopes this summer on Darwin Núñez, who has struggled for form at Al-Hilal.

Ignacio Alonso, the president of the Uruguayan football association, set the target for the summer’s World Cup: “Uruguay have to aspire to be in the world’s top 10 and therefore we have to reach the quarter-finals.” Alonso also addressed concerns over Uruguay’s form ahead of the tournament. “Bielsa is very excited for the World Cup,” he said. “He’s got his mind focused on the preparations. His objective is to have a great World Cup. It’s his aspiration, the result of all his work, research and preparation.”

The coach

After the 5-1 humbling by the United States last November, Marcelo Bielsa was seen as the man responsible for Uruguay’s failings. Upon their return to Montevideo, Bielsa called a press conference to say that he was not resigning, that he had “strength” to continue and admitted that he was questioned by his teammates for his “behaviour”.

Bielsa went on to be astonishingly honest about his own shortcomings in the 90-minute press conference. “I always say one word: I’m toxic,” he said. “Those who get to know me often come off worse for having known me. Toxic. There are toxic people, who only see the mistakes … That behaviour is based on fear. You don’t enjoy winning. You fear losing, much more than you enjoy winning.” After leading Argentina in 2002 and Chile in 2010, Bielsa now takes charge at his third and final World Cup.

Star player

Federico Valverde. The captain of Real Madrid arrives at this World Cup at his peak; at the age of 27 he is among the best in the world and is starting to be the leader that Uruguayans back home hope can inspire their country to the latter stages of the tournament. This is Valverde’s second World Cup after 2022 and his game has come on leaps and bounds since then. Everything goes through him in the national team and he’ll have to be at his best if Uruguay are to compete with the best midfields on the planet this summer. He arrives at the World Cup on the back of a fight with club teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni but said in late May: “I feel very good. I had the support and affection of all the Real Madrid fans and also of the club.”

One to watch
Maximiliano Araújo started his career as a right-back but earned his first move abroad, to Puebla in Mexico, thanks to his qualities as a winger. His performances in Mexico prompted a transfer to Toluca and ultimately opened the door to Europe with Sporting, where he has returned to his roots as a right-back. Marcelo Bielsa took a gamble when selecting the defender for the first time in 2023 but he has been one of the success stories of his spell in charge. Araújo offered the qualities that Bielsa was looking for in his wingers – the ability to beat his defender one-on-one and overload the opposition.

Unsung hero

Federico Viñas. The Real Oviedo striker could get his chance to shine this summer due to the dip in form of Darwin Núñez, Marcelo Bielsa’s main goal provider. Viñas’s story is one of sacrifice. He walked away from football at 15 before returning to the sport two years later.  He then broke through in Uruguay’s second tier and was bought by an América side looking for a bargain buy up front. After a spell at Club León he has spent the last two years in Spain and helped Real Oviedo win promotion to La Liga, scoring nine times in the top flight this season.

Probable starting XI

4-3-3 Muslera - Guillermo Varela, Ronald Araújo, Sebastián Cáceres, Mathías Olivera - Valverde, Ugarte, Bentancur - Canobbio, Darwin Núñez, Maximiliano Araújo

What to expect from fans at games? 

Uruguay’s group games are spread across the United States and Mexico, with plenty of sky-blue-clad supporters expected in both countries. Those that are travelling to North America will be joined by those who migrated there long before this tournament, making a reunion of sorts between natives and expats. Around 10,000 supporters are expected to attend matches in the US, which is impressive for a country of just 3m people.

This article is part of JoySports' collaboration with The Guardian. The cooperation enables readers to access team news, previews, and more from all 48 teams that qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026.