When it comes to the giants of the World Cup, Uruguay is probably the most nonexistent giant team, on the one hand, because Uruguay lacks a new generation of top stars, and on the other hand, because Uruguay's current strength is indeed unable to enter the championship ranks.
Team profile
The Uruguayan national team has a long history and deep heritage. In 1930, Uruguay hosted the first World Cup and defeated Argentina in the final, becoming the first team to win the World Cup. In 1950, they defeated the mighty Brazilian team at the Maracanã Stadium to win again.
However, in the 72 years that followed, Uruguay never revived to the level it was then, and in the South American World Cup World Cup in Qatar, Uruguay stumbled all the way to qualify for the World Cup as third.
According to the latest edition of the FIFA National Team Rankings, Uruguay is ranked 14th.
Best record in history
Uruguay's best record in World Cup history was the title, which they won in both 1930 and 1950. In the past three World Cups, they have finished fourth in 2010, round of 16 in 2014 and quarter-final in 2018.
Head coach – Diego Alonso
Diego Alonso, 47, is the current manager of the Uruguay national team. As a player, Diego Alonso has a rich resume, playing for Valencia, Atletico, Malaga and other teams. It is worth mentioning that Alonso also briefly played for Chinese Super League team Shanghai Shenhua in 2007, and is an old acquaintance of Chinese Super League fans.
After becoming a professional coach, Alonso moved to clubs such as Peñarol, Olympia and Miami Internamentary. He officially became Uruguayan national team coach in January 2022, which is also his first time coaching a national team, and the disadvantages of lack of experience may be evident in the World Cup.
Star player – Suarez
From the current value and strength, talents such as Valverde and Núñez are Uruguay's present and future, but the 35-year-old veteran Suarez's contribution to the Uruguayan national team is unmatched among active players, and his eight goals in the World Cup are key to Uruguay's qualification to the World Cup.
The peak of his career was long, whether it was at Ajax, Liverpool, Barca or Atletico, he was a top striker, and even when he returned to his hometown Uruguayan national team, you can see that the Uruguayan is still in excellent form. Suarez's innate goalscoring ability has not diminished much over time, and he will strive to write a legend in his last World Cup.
Valverde
Federico Valverde, 24, is the epitome of Uruguay's new generation of quality players. In recent years, he has gradually increased his playing time at Real Madrid, and the improvement of his skills is visible to the naked eye. His speed, endurance and passing efficiency are his strongest weapons, and in addition to midfield, he can also make cameos on the wing and have all-round ability. At the last World Cup, Valverde was named in the 26-man squad but was excluded from the final 23-man squad. This will be the first time in his career that he will play in the World Cup, and now he is a veteran international with 44 national team appearances and an increasingly important role in the Uruguay squad.
Prospects and qualification situation
In this World Cup, Uruguay is in Group H with Portugal, Ghana and South Korea. In the knockout round of the last World Cup, Uruguay defeated Portugal, and in this meeting, Uruguay has a certain psychological advantage. Ghana's physical fitness could pose a threat to Uruguay, who also had Uruguay wary of after beating Germany 2-0 in the last World Cup. In general, the overall strength of Group H is strong, and Uruguay's probability of qualifying is still large, but if you are not careful, there is also the possibility of being out.
Group Stage Schedule (Beijing Time)
24 November 21:00 Uruguay vs South Korea
29 November 3:00 Portugal vs Uruguay
2 December 23:00 Ghana vs Uruguay