Uruguay take on Spain as they look to book a place in the 2026 World Cup knockouts.
Whilst they sit in second in group H, Uruguay know that only a win guarantees their passage to the round of 32.
Their first appearance at a World Cup without any of Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan and Edinson Cavani since 1990 hasn't exactly gone to plan, but they'll be hoping that they can push on with the business end of the competition approaching.
Manager
Who is the Uruguay manger?
Once hailed the "best manager in the world" by Pep Guardiola, Marcelo Bielsa is taking charge of his third different nation at a World Cup.
He’s a divisive figure, and most recently went viral for refusing to look at the camera during a media day for the tournament, stating “I am not a model.”
Bielsa is ranked at no.77 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest managers ever and it’s hard to argue the fact when he popularised such a radical 3-3-3-1 formation during his several decades on the touchline.
Confirmed Uruguay vs Spain line ups
Uruguay (4-3-3): Muslera; Varela, Caceres, Olivera, Sanabria; Ugarte, Bentancur, Valverde; Canobbio, Araujo, Nunez
Spain (4-3-3): Simon; Llorente, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Merino, Pedri; Yamal, Baena, Oyarzabal
Mood
In qualifying for a fifth consecutive World Cup, Uruguay broke new ground, even including their 1930 and 1950 tournament-winning pomp, but all is not rosy. The immediate impact of Marcelo Bielsa’s May 2023 arrival peaked with consecutive 2-0 victories at home to Brazil and in Argentina, but qualification turned traumatic as El Loco’s controversial management of iconic veterans since the 2024 Copa America created internal tensions. Now-retired Luis Suarez, unsurprisingly, was the most critical.
El Loco has introduced salt to open wounds, too. “I am toxic,” he said after a 5-1 defeat by the USA last November. “If the players want me out, it’s very simple. They come, tell me, ‘look, Bielsa, we want you to leave’, that’s it.”
This has boiled over into the tournament this summer. Uruguay had to fight back from behind against Saudi Arabia in their opener, and were stunned by Cape Verde, who scored their first ever World Cup goals in a 2-2 draw in their second group game.
They now face the daunting task of European champions Spain, who are by no means guaranteed to finish top of the group, after they were also held by Cape Verde in their opening fixture of the 2026 World Cup.
Should they draw with Spain, they may face a nervy wait to see if they will qualify for the knockout rounds especially if Cape Verde or Saudi Arabia win. Should this happen they could qualify as one of the best third placed teams, but it will rely on other results going their way.
A win would significantly improve their chances, but a loss may see them finish bottom of their group, an unimaginable scenario at the start of the tournament.
Squad
Uruguay World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection
- GK: Sergio Rochet (Internacional)
- GK: Santiago Mele (Monterrey)
- GK: Fernando Muslera (Estudiantes)
- DF: Ronald Araujo (Barcelona)
- DF: Jose Maria Gimenez (Atlético Madrid)
- DF: Santiago Bueno (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
- DF: Sebastian Caceres (America)
- DF: Mathias Olivera (Napoli)
- DF: Guillermo Varela (Flamengo)
- DF: Matias Vina (River Plate)
- DF: Joaquin Piquerez (Palmeiras)
- DF: Juan Manuel Sanabria (Real Salt Lake)
- MF: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
- MF: Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur)
- MF: Manuel Ugarte (Manchester United)
- MF: Emiliano Martinez (Palmeiras)
- MF: Rodrigo Zalazar (Sporting CP)
- MF: Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Flamengo)
- MF: Nicolas De La Cruz (Flamengo)
- MF: Agustin Canobbio (Fluminense)
- MF: Maximiliano Araujo (Sporting CP)
- MF: Brian Rodriguez (America)
- MF: Facundo Pellistri (Panathinaikos)
- FW: Darwin Nunez (Al Hilal)
- FW: Federico Vinas (Real Oviedo)
- FW: Rodrigo Aguirre (Tigres)
Fixtures
- June 26, 2026: Uruguay vs Spain , Mercedes-Benz Stadium , Atlanta, United States
Recent Results
- June 20, 2026: Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde , MetLife Stadium , East Rutherford, United States
- June 15, 2026: Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay , Hard Rock Stadium , Miami Gardens, United States
- March 31, 2026: Algeria 0-0 Uruguay , Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy
- March 27, 2026: England 1-1 Uruguay , Wembley Stadium, London, England
- November 18, 2025: United States 5-1 Uruguay , Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States
- November 15, 2025: Mexico vs Uruguay , Estadio Corona, Torreón, Mexico
- October 13, 2025: Uzbekistan 2-1 Uruguay , Hang Jebat Stadium, Malacca, Malaysia
- October 10, 2025: Uruguay 1-0 Dominican Republic , Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- September 9, 2025: Chile 0-0 Uruguay , Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos, Santiago, Chile
- September 4, 2025: Uruguay 3-0 Peru , Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay
- June 10, 2025: Uruguay 2-0 Venezuela , Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay
- June 5, 2025: Paraguay 2-0 Uruguay , Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asuncion
- March 25, 2025: Bolivia 0-0 Uruguay , El Alto Municipal Stadium, El Ato, Bolivia
- March 21, 2025: Uruguay 0-1 Argentina , Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay
Star Player
Who is Uruguay's star player?
Federico Valverde, now the vice-captain of Real Madrid and often filling in for Dani Carvajal when he is unavailable, has won everything there is to win at club level.
Ranked at no.4 in FourFourTwo's list of the best central midfielders in the world right now, one of his biggest strengths is his versatility, often playing at right-back for Real Madrid with a relentless engine in tow that makes him any manager's dream.
For Uruguay to end an almost 80-year spell without a World Cup, he will need to be at the top of his game.
