Uruguay national football team

Uruguay before its first official match v Argentina, 20 July 1902

The team that won its second gold medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics

The first official match played by Uruguay was held at the Paso del Molino on July 20th, 1902 against Argentina.[3] In that match, Argentina beat the Uruguayan side 6–0 in front of 8,000 spectators.[4][5] Prior to 1916, Uruguay played more than 30 matches, of which all but one were against Argentina. The inaugural Copa America of 1916 saw Uruguay win against Chile and Brazil, along with a draw against Argentina, to win their first major tournament. At the 1917 South American Championship, Uruguay hosted the competition and retained the title by winning every match. The 1919 Copa América saw Uruguay's first loss in the tournament, a 1–0 defeat in a playoff with Brazil which went to two periods of extra time, the longest Copa América match in history.[8]

After winning the 1924 South American Championship, Uruguay traveled to Paris as the first South American team to compete in the Olympic Games. The 1924 Olympic Football tournament also had the distinction of being the first ever "open" championship for professionals, as well as directly being organized by FIFA.[7] Hence, the tournament would be recognize at the time (and posteriorly) as equivalent in value to the FIFA World Cup.[6] Uruguay would eliminate Yugoslavia, United States, France, Netherlands and finally Switzerland to become football's first senior professional world champions. Moreover, after winning the final, Uruguay inadvertently invented the tradition of the lap of honour to thank the fans in Paris. In the 1928 Olympic football tournament, Uruguay would retain their world title after beating Netherlands, Germany, Italy and lastly Argentina 2–1 in the replay of the final (the first match was a draw after extra time).

The team that beat Argentina in the final match of the 1930 FIFA World Cup to win Uruguay's first FIFA World Cup

Following the double Olympic triumph, Uruguay was chosen as the host nation for the inaugural FIFA World Cup held in 1930, the centenary of Uruguay's first constitution. During this tournament, Uruguay won all its matches against Peru, Romania and Yugoslavia. In the final, La Celeste overturned a 1–2 halftime deficit to a 4–2 victory against neighbours Argentina at the Estadio Centenario to capture their consecutive third world title. After this tournament, Uruguay would boycott the World Cup of 1934 due to the refusal of some European teams to participate in the 1930 edition.For the 1938 World Cup, France was chosen as host, contrary to a previous agreement to alternate the championships between South America and Europe, so Uruguay again refused to participate.

Uruguay's golden generation retired after winning the 1935 South American Championship, beating Argentina 3-0 in the final. This was this generation's overall 7th title, which is still the record for most major titles in international football history, counting the 4 South American (1917, '23, '24, '26) and three world titles (1924, '28, 30).

The team that beat Brazil in the decisive match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup to win Uruguay's second FIFA World Cup

In the 1940s, Uruguay achieved early success in a decade largely dominated by Argentina by winning their 8th South American Championship in 1942. As the World Cup was not being played, this championship became the priority.

In 1950, Uruguay re-entered the World Cup for the first time since 1930. This time, La Celeste would enter a final-group where they would tie Spain 2-2 and beat Sweden 3-2 on route to the final match against hosts Brazil. On July 16, 2015, Uruguay claimed their second FIFA World Cup and fourth senior world title when they beat Brazil 2-1 from behind in an iconic match known as the Maracanazo in front of a record paying crowd of 173,850. Though, historical estimates indicate that the crowd reached well over 200,000.[9] This feat became an integral part of Uruguay's football identity and a source of inspiration for upcoming footballers with each passing generation.

In the 1954 World Cup, Uruguay reached the semi-final for the fourth time after a notable campaign beating Czechoslovakia, Scotland and England. The semi-final vs. Hungary is still considered one of the best matches in World Cup history, as La Celeste dramatically tied the match 2-2 late after trailing 2-0 at half time. Uruguay would finally lose 4-2 in extra-time in what was their first-ever loss at the global stage, a thirty year record that started in 1924.

Rodolfo Rodríguez raises the Mundialito trophy won in January 1981.

Afterwards, Uruguay would fail to qualify to the World Cup for the first time in the 1958 CONMEBOL Qualifiers after losing 5-0 to Paraguay in Asuncion. From there, Uruguay maintained a competitive generation through the 1960s and into the early 1970s with players from Nacional and Peñarol, who had won several continental and club world titles during that time. In 1962, Uruguay had a relatively poor World Cup, being eliminated in the group stage after a dramatic last match against the Soviet Union. In 1966, Uruguay reached the top 8 after drawing hosts England beating France in the group stage. A controversial quarter-final loss against West Germany marred what had been seen as a positive campaign. La Celeste would end the decade winning their 11th South American Championship in 1967 by beating Argentina 1-0 in Montevideo.

In 1970, Uruguay established themselves again as one of the world's best teams when they advanced to their fourth World Cup semi-final in Mexico 1970, losing to eventual winners Brazil. After that came the biggest downturn in the country's footballing history as they were eliminated in the group stage of the 1974 World Cup, and failed to qualify to Argentina 1978. It wasn't until the late 1970s that Uruguayan football began to see hope as their U20 team won four consecutive South American titles from 1975-1981, as well as reaching the U20 World Cup semi-final in 1979.

The success of this young generation would bare fruit in the 1980s, which began with Uruguay winning the 1980 World Champions' Gold Cup, a tournament that pitted past World Cup winners together in celebration of the tournament's 50th anniversary. Afterwards, La Celeste went on to win the 1983 and 1987 Copa Americas back-to-back, only losing 1-0 to hosts Brazil in 1989's decisive title match. Conversely, there is the bittersweet sensation that this generation unreformed this decade when it came to the World Cup. Firstly, Uruguay failed to qualify for Spain 1982, and in Mexico 1986, Uruguay were eliminated in the Round of 16 against eventual champions Argentina after an underwhelming group stage that included West Germany, Denmark and Wales.

In Italy 1990, Uruguay were eliminated in the Round of 16 vs. hosts Italy 2-0 in Rome. Afterwards, Uruguay would fail to qualify for USA 1994 after losing 2-0 to Brazil in decisive match at Maracana Stadium. La Celeste would win their next big encounter against the Brazilians when they beat the reigning world champions to win the 1995 Copa America in Montevide. Later, Uruguay were eliminated from the 1998 World Cup as they finished in 7th place the first time qualifying had been done in one group.

For the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Uruguay managed to advance to a final playoff round against Australia to reach Korea and Japan. La Celeste would win the decisive match 3-0 in Montevideo to qualify to their first World Cup since 1990. The campaign itself proved a frustrating affair, as Uruguay were narrowly eliminated in the last group match against Senegal after drawing them 3-3, despite being down 3-0 at half-time. The comeback was nearly completed, but Uruguay missed a clear chance at the end of the match.

The 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign brought even more ups and downs as Uruguay finished in the position for another international playoff against Australia. This time, La Celeste were eliminated on penalties in Sydney. This loss led to a profound paradigm shift with the hiring of Oscar Tabarez as manager. From there, Uruguay would finish semi finalists of the 2007 Copa America, and successfully qualified to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, an event that greatly impacted Uruguayan football's trajectory.

In 2010, however, a new generation of footballers, led by Luis Suárez, Diego Forlán and Edinson Cavani, formed a team considered to be Uruguay's best in the last four decades, catching international attention after finishing fourth in the 2010 World Cup. Uruguay opened the tournament with a goalless draw against France, followed by defeats of South Africa (3–0) in and Mexico (1–0) respectively, finishing at the top of their group with seven points. In the second round, they played South Korea, defeating them 2–1 with star striker Luis Suárez scoring a brace and earning Uruguay a spot in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1970. Against Ghana, the match finished 1–1, forcing the game into extra-time. Both sides had their chances at extra time but Suárez blocked the ball with his hand in the penalty area, earning Suárez a red card and earning Uruguay universal scorn. Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan missed the subsequent penalty, forcing the game to go into penalties where Uruguay would win 4–2, sending them into the last four. They played the Netherlands in the semi-finals but were beaten 3–2. For the third-place match, they played Germany, again losing 3–2. This placed Uruguay in fourth place for the tournament, their best result in 40 years. Diego Forlan was awarded the Player of The Tournament.

Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

A year later, they won the Copa America for the first time in 16 years and broke the record for the most successful team in South America. Luis Suárez ended up as the Player of The Tournament. In the 2014 World Cup Uruguay was placed in Group D alongside Costa Rica, England, and Italy. They were upset by Costa Rica in the opening match, losing 3–1 despite taking the lead in the first half. They rebounded with a 2–1 victory over England, in which Suárez scored a brace right after coming back from an injury, and a 1–0 victory over Italy, placing them second in their group and earning a spot in the last 16. During the match against Italy, forward Luis Suárez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on his left shoulder. Two days after the match, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee banned Suárez for nine international matches, the longest such ban in World Cup history, exceeding the eight-match ban handed to Italy's Mauro Tassotti for breaking the nose of Spain's Luis Enrique in 1994.[10][11][12] Suárez was also banned from taking part in any football-related activity (including entering any stadium) for four months and fined CHF100,000 (approx. £65,700/€82,000/US$119,000).[10][11][13] In the round of 16, Uruguay played Colombia but were beaten 2–0, eliminating them from the tournament.

At the 2015 and 2016 Copa América, Uruguay, missing banned striker Luis Suárez, were eliminated in the quarter-finals and group stages respectively. After a successful World Cup qualifying campaign, finishing second, Uruguay made it to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Uruguay won its group after three victories, and advanced to the quarter-finals after a 2–1 win over Portugal.[14][15] However, they were eliminated 2–0 in the quarter-finals by the eventual champions France.

At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Uruguay was drawn into Group H with Portugal, Ghana and South Korea. They started the tournament with a 0–0 draw against South Korea, before they fell to a 2–0 defeat to Portugal. Although despite a 0–2 victory against Ghana in their final group game, Uruguay was knocked out of the tournament in the group stages for the first time since 2002, on goals scored following South Korea’s shock 2–1 win against Portugal.[16]

In 2023 Uruguay had arguably one of the best years in football ever, beating both Brazil and Argentina back to back for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Uruguay national football team kits.

Uruguay at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, wearing the light blue shirt they have worn since 1910

Between 1901 and 1910, Uruguay wore a variety of different shirts during its matches. The first shirt worn was the Albion F.C. one, in the unofficial debut of the national team v Argentina in 1901.[17] It was followed by a variety of shirts, including a solid green one and even a shirt with the colours of the flag of Artigas.

On 10 April 1910, now-defunct club River Plate defeated Argentine side Alumni 2–1, being the first time an Uruguayan team beat that legendary team. That day River Plate wore its alternate jersey, a light blue one due to the home jersey was similar to Alumni's.[18] Ricardo LeBas proposed Uruguay to wear a light blue jersey as a tribute to the victory of River Plate over Alumni. This was approved by president of the Uruguayan Association, Héctor Gómez.[19] The light blue (Celeste) jersey debuted in a Copa Lipton match v Argentina on 15 August 1910. Uruguay won 3–1.[20]

The red shirt that was used in some previous away strips was first used at the 1935 Copa América, held in Santa Beatriz in Peru, which Uruguay won. It was not worn again (except for a 1962 FIFA World Cup match, against Colombia[21]) until 1991, when it was officially adopted as the away jersey.[22]

Uruguay displays four stars in its emblem. This is unique in world football as two of the stars represent the gold medals received at the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics, which are the only editions recognised by FIFA as senior World Championships.[23][24][25] In 2021, after a FIFA employee contacted PUMA about modifying the team's crest, FIFA reconfirmed and approved once again the use of all four stars on the shirt.[26]

1901 [note 3]

1902–03 [note 4]

1905–07 [note 5]

1908–10 [note 6]

1910–present [note 7]

Since 1930, Uruguay have played their home games at the Estadio Centenario in the Uruguayan capital Montevideo. The stadium was built as a celebration of the centenary of Uruguay's first constitution, and had a capacity of 90,000 when first fully opened.[30] The stadium hosted several matches in the 1930 World Cup, including the final, which was watched by a crowd of 93,000.[31]

First played in 1902, the "Clasico de Rio de la Plata" with Argentina is the oldest international derby in world football outside of the UK. Both teams have played in historically significant matches, such as the two world finals of 1928 and the inaugural World Cup final in 1930. They also disputed 8 South American Championship title deciders between 1916-1967. Although Argentina has an overall better head to head record, Uruguay have a better tally when it comes to international title deciders with 10 wins and 1 loss.

Uruguay vs. Brazil dates back to the 1916 South American Championship. Both teams have since competed in several Copa America title deciders and the iconic 1950 World Cup final match, where Uruguay lifted their second FIFA World Cup in front of a world record crowd in Maracana. The only other time they met in a World Cup was the 1970 World Cup semi-final where Brazil won 3-1 in Guadalajara. Since the 1980s, the two sides met in several title deciders, such as: the 1980 World Champions' Gold Cup final (won by Uruguay), and 1983, 1989, 1995 and 1999 Copa America finals. Uruguay would win the 1983 and 1995 editions, while Brazil won in 1989 and 1999. The 1990s also saw a decisive World Cup qualifier that saw Brazil eliminate Uruguay in Maracana from going to USA 1994. Since the 2000s, they have both mostly met in Copa America semi finals, as well as the regularly scheduled World Cup qualifiers.

As of 14 June 2023.[32]

Position	Name
Head coach	Marcelo Bielsa
Assistant coaches	Lucas Ouviña Pablo Quiroga Diego Reyes
Goalkeeping coach	Carlos Nicola
Fitness coach	Marco Mansulino
Analyst	Diego Bermúdez
Logistics	Sara Bouzas Magalí Conde

The following 21 players are called up to the squad for friendlies against Basque Country and Ivory Coast on 23 and 26 March 2024 respectively.[34] Six players from the initial squad were released after the match against Basque Country.[35]

Caps and goals correct as of 26 March 2024, after the match against Ivory Coast.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Randall Rodríguez	(2003-11-29) 29 November 2003	0	0	Peñarol
12	1GK	Franco Israel	(2000-04-22) 22 April 2000	2	0	Sporting CP
23	1GK	Santiago Mele	(1997-09-06) 6 September 1997	4	0	Atlético Junior
2	2DF	Nicolás Marichal	(2001-03-17) 17 March 2001	1	0	Dynamo Moscow
3	2DF	Sebastián Cáceres	(1999-08-18) 18 August 1999	11	0	América
16	2DF	Mathías Olivera	(1997-10-31) 31 October 1997	17	1	Napoli
17	2DF	Matías Viña	(1997-11-09) 9 November 1997	36	0	Flamengo
22	2DF	Lucas Olaza	(1994-07-21) 21 July 1994	2	0	Krasnodar
5	3MF	Nicolás Fonseca	(1998-10-19) 19 October 1998	1	0	River Plate
6	3MF	Rodrigo Bentancur	(1997-06-25) 25 June 1997	58	1	Tottenham Hotspur
7	3MF	Nicolás de la Cruz	(1997-06-01) 1 June 1997	26	5	Flamengo
8	3MF	Nahitan Nández	(1995-12-28) 28 December 1995	55	0	Cagliari
10	3MF	Giorgian de Arrascaeta	(1994-06-01) 1 June 1994	46	10	Flamengo
15	3MF	Federico Valverde (vice-captain)	(1998-07-22) 22 July 1998	56	6	Real Madrid
20	3MF	Manuel Ugarte	(2001-04-11) 11 April 2001	15	0	Paris Saint-Germain
9	4FW	Federico Viñas	(1998-06-30) 30 June 1998	2	1	León
11	4FW	Facundo Pellistri	(2001-12-20) 20 December 2001	19	0	Granada
14	4FW	Agustín Canobbio	(1998-10-01) 1 October 1998	12	1	Athletico Paranaense
18	4FW	Brian Rodríguez	(2000-05-20) 20 May 2000	22	4	América
19	4FW	Luciano Rodríguez	(2003-07-16) 16 July 2003	2	0	Liverpool Montevideo
21	4FW	Ignacio Laquintana	(1999-02-01) 1 February 1999	0	0	Red Bull Bragantino

The following players have also been called up to the Uruguay squad in the past twelve months.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Sergio Rochet	(1993-03-23) 23 March 1993	18	0	Internacional	v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
DF	Ronald Araújo	(1999-03-07) 7 March 1999	16	1	Barcelona	v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
DF	Guillermo Varela	(1993-03-24) 24 March 1993	15	0	Flamengo	v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
DF	Bruno Méndez	(1999-09-10) 10 September 1999	7	0	Granada	v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
DF	José María Giménez (captain)	(1995-01-20) 20 January 1995	83	8	Atlético Madrid	v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
DF	Joaquín Piquerez	(1998-08-24) 24 August 1998	13	0	Palmeiras	v.  Brazil, 17 October 2023
DF	Santiago Bueno	(1998-11-09) 9 November 1998	2	0	Wolverhampton Wanderers	v.  Brazil, 17 October 2023
DF	José Luis Rodríguez	(1997-03-14) 14 March 1997	2	0	Vasco da Gama	v.  Ecuador, 12 September 2023
DF	Mauricio Lemos	(1995-12-28) 28 December 1995	3	0	Atlético Mineiro	v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
DF	Sebastián Boselli	(2003-12-04) 4 December 2003	0	0	River Plate	v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
DF	Facundo González	(2003-07-06) 6 July 2003	0	0	Sampdoria	v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
DF	Santiago Mouriño	(2002-09-13) 13 September 2002	0	0	Zaragoza	v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
DF	Mateo Ponte	(2003-05-24) 24 May 2003	0	0	Botafogo	v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
MF	Matías Vecino	(1991-08-24) 24 August 1991	70	6	Lazio	v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
MF	Rodrigo Zalazar	(1999-08-12) 12 August 1999	2	2	Braga	v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
MF	Maximiliano Araújo	(2000-02-15) 15 February 2000	7	1	Toluca	v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
MF	Felipe Carballo	(1996-10-04) 4 October 1996	7	0	Grêmio	v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
MF	Emiliano Martínez	(1999-08-17) 17 August 1999	2	0	Midtjylland	v.  Ecuador, 12 September 2023
MF	Fabricio Díaz	(2003-02-03) 3 February 2003	0	0	Al-Gharafa	v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
FW	Facundo Torres	(2000-04-13) 13 April 2000	16	1	Orlando City	v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
FW	Luis Suárez	(1987-01-24) 24 January 1987	138	68	Inter Miami	v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
FW	Darwin Núñez	(1999-06-24) 24 June 1999	22	8	Liverpool	v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
FW	Cristian Olivera	(2002-04-17) 17 April 2002	3	0	Los Angeles	v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
FW	Maxi Gómez	(1996-08-14) 14 August 1996	32	4	Cádiz	v.  Ecuador, 12 September 2023
FW	Diego Rossi	(1998-03-05) 5 March 1998	7	1	Columbus Crew	v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
FW	Matías Arezo	(2002-11-21) 21 November 2002	3	1	Granada	v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
FW	Thiago Borbas	(2002-04-07) 7 April 2002	2	0	Red Bull Bragantino	v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
FW	Anderson Duarte	(2004-03-23) 23 March 2004	0	0	Defensor Sporting	v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
PRE Preliminary squad INJ Injured

  Champions    Runners-up    Third place     Fourth place      Tournament played fully or partially on home soil  

FIFA World Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pos	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Champions	1st	4	4	0	0	15	3	Squad		Qualified as hosts
1934	Refused to participate										Qualified as defending champions
1938											Refused to participate
1950	Champions	1st	4	3	1	0	15	5	Squad		Qualified automatically
1954	Fourth place	4th	5	3	0	2	16	9	Squad		Qualified as defending champions
1958	Did not qualify										2nd	4	2	1	1	4	6
1962	Group stage	13th	3	1	0	2	4	6	Squad		1st	2	1	1	0	3	2
1966	Quarter-finals	7th	4	1	2	1	2	5	Squad		1st	4	4	0	0	11	2
1970	Fourth place	4th	6	2	1	3	4	5	Squad		1st	4	3	1	0	5	0
1974	Group stage	13th	3	0	1	2	1	6	Squad		1st	4	2	1	1	6	2
1978	Did not qualify										2nd	4	1	2	1	5	4
1982											2nd	4	1	2	1	5	5
1986	Round of 16	16th	4	0	2	2	2	8	Squad		1st	4	3	0	1	6	4
1990		16th	4	1	1	2	2	5	Squad		1st	4	3	0	1	7	2
1994	Did not qualify										3rd	8	4	2	2	10	7
1998											7th	16	6	3	7	18	21
2002	Group stage	26th	3	0	2	1	4	5	Squad		5th	20	8	6	6	22	14
2006	Did not qualify										5th	20	7	7	6	24	29
2010	Fourth place	4th	7	3	2	2	11	8	Squad		5th	20	7	7	6	30	21
2014	Round of 16	12th	4	2	0	2	4	6	Squad		5th	18	8	5	5	30	25
2018	Quarter-finals	5th	5	4	0	1	7	3	Squad		2nd	18	9	4	5	32	20
2022	Group stage	20th	3	1	1	1	2	2	Squad		3rd	18	8	4	6	22	22
2026	Qualification in progress										TBD	6	4	1	1	13	5
2030	Qualified as commemorative match hosts										Qualified as commemorative match hosts
2034	To be determined										To be determined
Total	2 Titles	14/22	59	25	13	21	89	76	—		—	178	81	47	50	253	191

*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.