World Cup 2022 team guides part 32: Uruguay
This article is part of the Guardian’s World Cup 2022 Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 32 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from two countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 20 November.
The plan
This is an exciting time to be a Uruguay fan. The team travel to Qatar with an excellent blend of youth and experience. For players such as Fernando Muslera, Diego Godín, Martín Cáceres, Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani it will be their fourth World Cup but on the other hand Sergio Rochet, Mathías Olivera, Federico Valverde, Nicolás de la Cruz, Facundo Pellistri and Darwin Núñez, all set to be in the starting XI, are preparing for their first tournament.
There has not been a lot of time for the coach, Diego Alonso, to find the right balance of the team and this has caused some anxiety before the World Cup kicks off but one thing is clear: there is enough talent in this squad to shock the world.
Quick Guide
Uruguay group fixtures
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Alonso, meanwhile, has not held back when it comes to pre-tournament predictions. “The players and I want to become world champions,” he said in May, causing great expectation among fans. “We want to go there to win. And if you want to win, you have to prepare to win. We are a team that has a lot of hope. We believe in ourselves. I believe a lot in these footballers and I believe Uruguay is going to win the World Cup.”
Can Uruguay really win the World Cup for a third time? Anything is possible and individual performances suggest that most of the squad are in good form and this allows the coach to dream big. Alonso, though, has led Uruguay for only nine games and has had one major pre-World Cup setback, the injury to Ronald Araújo. The Barcelona defender was still included in the squad though.
The coach
Diego Alonso built his reputation during five successful years in Mexican football (2014-2019) before David Beckham took him to Inter Miami for the 2020 and 2021 campaigns. In December 2021 he was given the unenviable task of replacing Óscar Tabárez, known as El Maestro, who had been the Uruguay coach for the previous 15 years. Alonso is a great motivator and knows how to convey his ideas to the players. He likes his team to be in charge of games, pressing opponents hard and wanting the lion’s share of possession. His preferred systems are 4-4-2 and 4-3-3, with speed and energy on the flanks. He is not afraid to give youngsters a chance, such as Facundo Pellistri, who started mainly on the bench when at Alavés.
Star player
In the past this would have been Luis Suárez or Edinson Cavani but the fact that it is no longer the case shows how far Federico Valverde has come. His performances for Real Madrid have taken him to another level among some of the best in the world. This will be his first World Cup but the national team are already relying on him to provide energy and ball-distribution in midfield. Valverde and Alonso seem to get on like a house on fire. “He once came to my house and chatted for an hour,” Valverde said recently, “and when he left I was feeling like a tiger, ready to take on anyone.”
Federico Valverde, pictured in action against Colombia last year, has formed a strong rapport with his national coach, Diego Alonso. Photograph: Getty Images
Unsung hero
Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur is the soul of this team. He is a silent leader but still has undeniable charisma. He has everything a modern footballer needs, with his passing and game intelligence standing out, but he couples that with a willingness to put his body on the line when needed and some tireless running. He can play centrally or on the wing but is often used as a one of two No 6s by Diego Alonso. He gives Uruguay a unique consistency in midfield together with Federico Valverde, the pair having played together for a long time as they are part of the same generation.
Probable lineup
Qatar stance
Unsurprisingly perhaps, neither the coach nor any of the players have commented on the human rights situation in Qatar and the conditions for migrant workers. The Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) has not said anything on or off the record. It is unsurprising because it is rare for Uruguayan players to comment on politics or matters such as the war in Ukraine.
National anthem
Himno Nacional de Uruguay was written by the poet Francisco Acuña de Figueroa, who wrote the Paraguayan national anthem too, but the first version was not accepted straight away. His initial take was written in 1830 but was modified somewhat to tone down the language about Brazil, Portugal and Spain. The first official version was approved in 1833 but it took another 12 years before the author was completely happy with the final version. The lyrics are popular in Uruguay, expressing a strong sense of identity and the players sing it loudly and with passion before games. The first words are: “Easterners, the Fatherland or the grave! Liberty or with glory we die!”
All-time cult hero
José Nasazzi, Obdulio Varela and Luis Suárez could all lay claim to this title but maybe the former Liverpool, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid forward gets the overall nod as he is a reincarnation of the first two. Nasazzi was called “the Marshall” and part of an extraordinary generation that won two Olympic Games (1924 and 1928) and the World Cup in 1930. Varela, meanwhile, summed up everything that was good about the Uruguay team that won the 1950 World Cup, including in the final at the Maracanã. Suárez is the heir to those exceptional footballers and a perfect example of what the expression “Garra Charrúa” (“Charrúa claw”) means – to fight until the very end and, when you have nothing left, fight a little bit more.
Luis Eduardo Inzaurralde is an editor at El Observador. Follow him here on Twitter.