2026 World Cup: What's Wrong with Uruguay Under Marcelo Bielsa?
June 28, 2026 · Global
Uruguay must achieve victory against European champions Spain to avoid early elimination at the 2026 World Cup after a disappointing draw.
Only victory against European champions Spain can prevent Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay from suffering a humiliating exit from the World Cup. The former Leeds coach is trying to find the positive side after the draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. "Now we have to play against Spain with the need and obligation to win," said Bielsa. He added, "this is an opportunity for the team to improve on the impression they made against a great opponent." This is a positive outlook amidst a dark situation. Friday night's match (Saturday 01:00 BST) had previously been scheduled as a group decider, but defeat would see Uruguay eliminated among the 16 teams before the knockout phase in the expanded 48-team tournament. Usually, Bielsa blames himself. "I am responsible for Uruguay getting only two points out of a possible six points," he said. At 70, he may be nearing the end of his colorful career at the top level. Bielsa's partnership with Uruguay has not been convincing, and the performance crisis is very clear. However, despite their struggles in this tournament, there have been glimpses of a level above what they have produced over the past two years. Initially, everything started well. After the Qatar World Cup, Bielsa took over a team in need of a generational change and, as was the case previously with Chile, inherited a group that suited his dynamic, attacking style. Uruguay started their South American World Cup qualifiers very impressively - winning at home to Argentina, beating Brazil, and - after six rounds - scoring almost twice as many goals as any other team. Then came the 2024 Copa America. Uruguay started with a lot of goals - and then hit a wall. Since then, things have not been the same. In November, they were thrashed 5-1 by USA and their former protege Mauricio Pochettino, and when they snatched a draw against England at Wembley in March, they barely crossed the halfway line - something unimaginable for Bielsa's side. So, where does this all go wrong? Some answers may lie outside the coach's control. It is striking how many Uruguayan players have failed to develop at club level. Federico Valverde is yet to make an impact in this tournament, even though he is now a star at Real Madrid. Other players appeared to stall or retreat - Rodrigo Bentancur, Manuel Ugarte, Facundo Pellistri and Darwin Nunez among them. Nonetheless, Bielsa is expected - and he clearly shares that hope - to get more from his existing resources. Has the model become too predictable? Its high-pressure, stinging style was once considered revolutionary but has now gone mainstream. Bielsa himself showed doubts. Uruguay did not play any warm-up matches before the World Cup, preferring to work intensively on the training pitch which resulted in a new system - Valverde's wide right and two forwards. It failed, abandoned at half-time against Saudi Arabia, with a return to the familiar 4-3-3 formation resulting in an improvement. After the break, and again against Cape Verde, Uruguay at least created chances — and without two moments of self-destruction, they would have advanced to the round of 32. However, tactics may not be the main cause. A more convincing explanation lies in personal relationships. A month together during the 2024 Copa America seems to have soured the mood in the dressing room. Luis Suarez said this as he retired from international football, using a press conference to criticize what he perceived as a lack of warmth from Bielsa, his treatment of players and the tense atmosphere in the camp. Interestingly, not a single member of the squad denied Uruguay's all-time top goalscorer's statement. One player, recently recalled winger Agustin Canobbio, was embroiled in a heated exchange with Bielsa, saying the breaking point came when the coach criticized the way he sat. Following the heavy defeat by the United States, Bielsa spoke openly about his difficulties in relating to others, describing himself as a "toxic perfectionist". This raises the possibility that Bielsa's familiar combination of oddities is less effective with modern players, who often seek a stronger personal connection with their coach. Bielsa himself has reflected – in typical fashion – that, for all the advances in sports science, enthusiasm is more important than preparation in making a team function as a unit. For whatever reason, over the past two years he had not been able to instill enough of those qualities. It also sometimes seems out of step with the modern game. He criticized hydration breaks at the tournament - a classic Bielsa phrase - saying they "interfere with culturally constructed perceptions of understanding football. They add nothing..." He also refused to participate in an official FIFA World Cup photo shoot. "I'm not a model," she said, after her picture was taken of her staring at the floor. Bielsa will step down at the end of the tournament. Would that possibility bring a sense of relief - and new energy to the dressing room? Uruguay, as a wounded power, could be dangerous. If coach and player can reconnect as they did at the start of his tenure, Spain could perhaps be beaten and one of the most exciting managerial careers in football could be extended a little longer.