Uruguay are set to compete in their 15th FIFA World Cup™ and their fifth in a row since making a memorable return with a fourth-placed finish at South Africa 2010. After a rollercoaster qualification campaign, La Celeste clinched a direct berth in the hard-fought South American preliminaries for the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side are undergoing wholesale changes following the retirement of key players from their recent golden generation that helped restore the nation’s reputation. With Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez having hung up their international boots, a new-look squad led by Federico Valverde will be vying to surprise the world by showcasing their coach’s trademark tactical style.
Uruguay coach: Marcelo Bielsa
Bielsa is considered one of the world’s best coaches. Admired by many of his peers who recognise him as one of the major influences on modern football, the 70-year-old Argentinian is set to contest his third World Cup as a head coach. At Korea/Japan 2002, he endured one of the most disappointing moments of his career after crashing out in the group stage with Argentina.
He would go on to steer Chile to South Africa 2010 after they had gone 12 years without reaching the global showpiece. After progressing from the group stage – where they were only narrowly edged out 2-1 by eventual champions Spain – their journey came to an end in the Round of 16 against Brazil, who ran out convincing 3-0 winners in Johannesburg.
Following successful stints in club football at Athletic Club, Olympique de Marseille and Leeds United, Bielsa returned to the international scene and has guided La Celeste to the World Cup with some superb performances during the qualifiers, albeit not without a few ups and downs along the way. In September, they swept Peru aside at the Estadio Centenario to secure their place at the 2026 edition of the global showpiece in style.
Uruguay’s World Cup 2026 fixtures and group
Full World Cup 2026 match schedule
How Uruguay qualified for World Cup 2026
Uruguay finished fourth in the CONMEBOL qualifying standings for World Cup 2026, resulting in direct qualification. La Celeste were one of four teams to finish on 28 points, just one point below Ecuador in second place and ten points adrift of table-toppers and World Cup holders Argentina. Uruguay embraced ‘Bielsa-ball’ and were firing on all cylinders at the end of 2023, when they beat Brazil in Montevideo and inflicted an unexpected defeat on world champions Argentina in Buenos Aires. Despite a subsequent dip in their performance levels, they showed signs of improvement again towards the end of the qualifying campaign.
Uruguay’s World Cup history
Uruguay’s best World Cup
Uruguay’s first two World Cup appearances were undoubtedly their best, as they lifted the trophy in both 1930 and 1950. The country hosted the maiden edition of the tournament and went on to claim the coveted crown – a triumph they would repeat during their next World Cup appearance some 20 years later in Brazil. Their unforgettable and unexpected victory against the hosts in the final fixture left an entire nation in despair and is ingrained in international football history as the Maracanazo.
Uruguay’s last World Cup
Uruguay came into Qatar 2022™ with the same ambitions that took them all the way to the semi-finals in South Africa 12 year earlier. With Diego Alonso at the helm following the departure of Oscar Tabarez in 2021, La Celeste’s curtain-raiser against Korea Republic ended goalless. Following that stalemate, Portugal then dealt a heavy blow to Uruguay’s hopes of progressing with two goals from Bruno Fernandes without reply. On the final matchday, despite a 2-0 victory over Ghana thanks to a Giorgian de Arrascaeta brace, Hwang Hee-chan’s last-gasp winner against Portugal saw Korea Republic through to the knockouts at Uruguay’s expense.
Uruguay’s first World Cup
Uruguay hold the honour of being the first World Cup hosts and winners. Their 1930 tournament curtain-raiser and first-ever outing at the iconic Estadio Centenario produced a 1-0 win over Peru, before they completed their group stage with a 4-0 hammering of Romania. In the semi-finals, they eliminated Yugoslavia with a stunning 6-1 victory, which included a Jose Pedro Cea hat-trick. The final promised to be a showdown to remember, pitting the two powerhouses of the era against each other. Argentina edged the first half 2-1 in the Rio de la Plata derby, but Uruguay fought back in the second half, scoring three goals to claim the first-ever World Cup title.
Uruguay’s World Cup top scorer
In a country that has produced plenty of prolific goal-getters over the years, Oscar Miguez remains the top scorer in Uruguay’s World Cup history, having netted eight times in the competition. The striker began his goalscoring streak with a hat-trick in Uruguay’s opening 8-0 victory over Bolivia at the 1950 World Cup, before bagging another two goals in the 3-2 win over Sweden, which preceded La Celeste’s stunning conquest of hosts Brazil in the final match. Miguez added to his haul in Switzerland four years later when he opened the scoring against Czechoslovakia and netted a brace in a 7-0 victory over Scotland. However, Uruguay’s defeat to Hungary in the semi-finals curtailed their quest for a third World Cup crown.
Uruguay’s record World Cup appearance maker
Nobody has featured in more World Cup matches for Uruguay than Cavani, the current Boca Juniors striker who called time on his international career in May 2024 having amassed 17 appearances at the global showpiece. That accomplishment is testament to the longevity of a striker who was a regular face on the international football scene for well over a decade. Joining Diego Forlan and Suarez as Uruguay’s third musketeer, Cavani played in all six matches at South Africa 2010, four apiece at Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018, as well as three at Qatar 2022. The 2011 Copa America champion scored five World Cup goals across those four tournaments.
Uruguay’s memorable World Cup moments
The pinnacle of Uruguay’s World Cup history remains the decisive match of Brazil 1950, referred to as the Maracanazo. In a jam-packed Maracanã, the comeback triumph over the hosts – thanks to goals from Juan Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia – goes down as one of the most sensational events in international football. The Uruguay-Brazil attendance of 173,850 remains a record crowd for a World Cup game. Although that was the official figure, it is widely believed that over 200,000 were inside the Maracana that day. “Only three people have managed to silence the Maracana: the Pope, Frank Sinatra, and me,” Ghiggia was quoted as saying years later.
Uruguay’s biggest World Cup win
For a country with a long-standing football heritage like Uruguay, it is no surprise that their biggest World Cup win dates back to 1950. The eventual champions hit the ground running in that instalment by sweeping aside Bolivia 8-0 thanks to a Miguez hat-trick, a brace from Schiaffino and one apiece from Ernesto Vidal, Julio Perez and the legendary Ghiggia – who would go on to score the winner in the Maracanazo.
