Uruguayans are celebrating. So, too, are the purists.
La Celeste overpowered Peru at the Estadio Centenario tonight to qualify for the FIFA World Cup 26™. It means that fans will get to witness Ronald Araujo, Jose Gimenez, Federico Valverde, Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Darwin Nunez perform on football’s most prestigious platform once again, and be entertained by the tactics of an adventure attorney.
Marcelo Bielsa loathes defensive football like Uruguayans loathe foreigners stirring yerba mate with a bombilla. The man who hails from Rosario, the birthplace of Lionel Messi, said that he’s “obsessed with attacking”, that he “detests not having the ball” and that “dribbling changes games and gives us oxygen”.
After the last World Cup Bielsa coached at, in charge of Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez and Co at South Africa 2010, the immortal Johan Cruyff commented that “Spain won the trophy, but Chile won the prize for the most beautiful football.”
Madmen
‘El Salvador’ was one of innumerable admirers of ‘El Loco’. Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino, Jorge Sampaoli and Diego Simeone all cited Bielsa as their inspiration. Diego Maradona called him “a crazy genius”.
Guess what? Bielsa embraces being nicknamed ‘El Loco’. “A person is a madman until his ideas triumph,” he famously remarked.
The World Cup has certainly enjoyed madmen. With Peru trailing Poland 1-0 in the latter stages of their second-round clash at Argentina 1978 – a result which would send La Blanquirroja home – Ramon Quiroga started acting as a flying goalkeeper. “This is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a long time!” exclaimed former Liverpool forward Ian St John.
‘El Loco’ then rugby tackled Grzegorz Lato – in the Poland half! The Argentina-born Quiroga duly put his arms behind his back and flashed puppy-dog eyes at referee Ulf Eriksson, but it didn’t work. He remains the only goalkeeper in World Cup history to earn a booking for a foul in the opposition half.
Another glove-wearing ‘El Loco’ was up to crazy tricks at Italia ’90. Rene Higuita, way out of his penalty area, attempted to take on Roger Milla. The forward tackled the Colombia No1, stroked the ball into an empty net and put Cameroon in the quarter-finals.
At South Africa 2010, it was the turn of Sebastian Abreu. The man who played for 32 clubs in 26 years was renowned for taking Panenka penalties. Surely, with that in mind, he wouldn’t dare it with the most fundamental kick of his career? ‘El Loco’ did. It won Uruguay a shootout with Ghana that put them in the semi-finals for the first time in 40 years.
Valverde and Nunez key
El Loco’ Bielsa will now look to mastermind similar success for the same side in North America, where they have already thrived under him. Uruguay, indeed, won all three group-stage games, and eliminated Brazil in the quarter-finals, at last year’s Copa America. Los Charrúas have also recorded some uplifting results in World Cup qualifying, dominating Brazil 2-0 at the Centenario, drawing with the same team at the Arena Fonte Nova, and pulling off a historic victory over Argentina at La Bombonera.
Valverde, one of the best midfielders on the planet, is the heartbeat of the team. The 27-year-old has players from elite European clubs for company such as Araujo (Barcelona), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur), Jose Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Mathias Olivera (Napoli) and Manuel Ugarte (Manchester United).
Crucially, a nation for whom Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani hit 163 goals between them look to have a potent spearhead once again. Nunez, indeed, has netted 10 goals in his last 19 internationals and is expected to get regular action at Al Hilal.
World Cup 26 spectators can also relish the idiosyncrasies of one of football’s most unique characters. He once heard about the talent of a 13-year-old, drove to his house at 1am, and decided the kid was going to make it. Pochettino did, going to represent Argentina, and is now set to coach co-hosts USA at the global finals.
When Bielsa arrived at Leeds United, he ordered his players to pick up the litter around the stadium for three hours to illustrate how long fans had to work to afford a ticket to Elland Road. He had a bed put in his office. He can pore over up to 100 hours of video footage per month.
Yes, everyone thinks he’s crazy. But what was it Bielsa said about only being a madman until ideas triumph?
The insanity tag will explode immediately if Uruguay win the biggest fixture in sporting history on 19 July 2026.
Tickets
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Uruguay’s World Cup campaigns
1930: Champions
1950: Champions
1954: Fourth place
1962: Group stage
1966: Quarter-finals
1970: Fourth place
1974: Group stage
1986: Last 16
1990: Last 16
2002: Group stage
2010: Fourth place
2014: Last 16
2018: Quarter-finals
2022: Group stage
