World Cup fever is almost upon us as the Uruguay World Cup squad becomes the next to be announced ahead of next month’s tournament in North America.
Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa has named a strong 26-man squad, even though there is a shock omission from La Celeste’s team.
Former Liverpool and Barcelona forward Luis Suarez misses out after he left the door open to a potential international return following a 20-month absence.
The South American side still boasts a squad full of talent, with the defensive sturdiness of Ronald Araujo and Jose Maria Gimenez, to the forward unpredictability of Darwin Nunez.
The Uruguay World Cup squad has to navigate Spain, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde in their group, but La Celeste have a strong chance of advancing through to the knockout stages alongside the reigning European champions.
Uruguay World Cup Squad: Marcelo Bielsa Names His 26-Man Squad
With less than two weeks until the first game kicks off, Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa has named his squad that will look to tackle the World Cup in North America.
A mixture of experience and youthfulness, the Argentine manager will look to take La Celeste further than the group stage, which is the stage they bowed out in during the 2022 World Cup.
Here’s the full 26-man list that have made the Uruguay World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Sergio Rochet (Internacional), Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Santiago Mele (Junior FC)
Defenders: Guillermo Varela (Flamengo), Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Santiago Bueno (Wolves), Sebastian Caceres (Club América), Mathias Olivera (Napoli), Joaquin Piquerez (Palmeiras), Matias Vina (Flamengo)
Midfielders: Manuel Ugarte (Manchester United), Emiliano Martínez (Palmeiras), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Agustín Canobbio (Fluminense), Juan Manuel Sanabria (Atlético San Luis), Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Flamengo), Nicolás de la Cruz (Flamengo), Rodrigo Zalazar (SC Braga), Facundo Pellistri (Panathinaikos), Maximiliano Araujo (Sporting CP), Brian Rodríguez (Club América)
Forwards: Rodrigo Aguirre (Club America), Federico Vinas (Real Oviedo), Darwin Nunez (Al Hilal)
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Uruguay World Cup Squad: Was Including Darwin Nunez The Right Choice?
The Al-Hilal forward, who has not played a competitive league minute since early February, has been included in the Uruguay World Cup squad for next month’s tournament in North America.
He does possess quality, pace and trickery, which adds a different and much-needed dimension to the La Celeste attack, but his match sharpness will be a massive factor in his preparation.
After Karim Benzema stole his spot on the Al-Hilal roster, Nunez has played no football and has been a massive forgotten man who was once destined for the top.
Even though Luis Suarez pleaded his case for a potential international return, Bielsa shot that claim down very quickly by including a much-fitter and younger Nunez in the Uruguay World Cup squad.
In the latest friendlies, Federico Vinas and Rodrigo Aguirre were preferred over the ex-Liverpool forward, and that could be the case once more at the 2026 World Cup.
Uruguay World Cup Squad: The Spine Of The Team Will Be Key
Defenders Ronaldo Araujo and Jose Maria Gimenez, alongside midfielders Federico Valverde and Manuel Ugarte, will be key in creating chances for Uruguay.
The La Liga trio have all experienced mixed seasons at club level. Araujo won the Spanish top-flight with Barcelona, Gimenez has been largely injured and has focused on recovery ahead of the World Cup, and Valverde has endured a tough season with Real Madrid as Los Blancos were nowhere near challenging for the title.
Meanwhile, Ugarte has not managed to establish himself under the new manager, Michael Carrick, and has spent large portions of the season sitting on the bench.
For the Uruguay World Cup squad to tick, this quartet need to be playing at their best, and after mixed experiences during their league campaigns, Marcelo Bielsa will be hoping to instil confidence back into them to produce the best possible result for Uruguay.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Buzzi
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