Uruguay, one of football’s most storied nations, is staring down the barrel of a group-stage exit at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. After drawing 1-1 with Saudi Arabia on June 22 and then 2-2 with Cape Verde on June 26, Marcelo Bielsa’s squad is running out of runway.
What happened on the pitch
Uruguay’s tournament opened in Miami against Saudi Arabia, a match they were widely expected to win comfortably. Instead, they needed Maxi Araújo’s equalizer just to salvage a 1-1 draw. Four days later at Hard Rock Stadium, Cape Verde, making their World Cup debut, held Uruguay to a 2-2 stalemate.
Bielsa, who has led the national team since 2023, acknowledged the problem after the Cape Verde match. He pointed to Uruguay’s inability to maintain control after halftime, noting the team entered the second half with possession and a lead but failed to close things out.
“We lacked a finishing touch,” Bielsa said.
