Uruguay, known as La Celeste, combines a century of international tradition with a fiercely competitive modern identity. Founded in 1900 and governed by the Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol, the national team carries four recognized world titles and a celebrated record in South American football. This page brings together the latest 26-player selection, the coaching chronology led by Marcelo Bielsa, recorded competitions and a concise account of the team’s history, symbols, venues and football culture.
Uruguay Upcoming matches by league
Friendlies
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- Friendly International
Japan
Uruguay
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- Friendly International
South Korea
Uruguay
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- Friendly International
IndiaNo H2HUruguay
Uruguay Last matches by league
Friendlies
World Cup
World Cup - Qualification South America
Copa America
Uruguay Team Roster
Uruguay’s recorded senior selection contains 26 players: three goalkeepers, six defenders, eleven midfielders and six attackers. The group includes established leaders such as goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, defender José María Giménez, midfielder Federico Valverde and forward Darwin Núñez, alongside a broad mix of experienced internationals and emerging options. Ronald Araújo and Manuel Ugarte add strength through the spine, while Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Rodrigo Bentancur and Nicolás de la Cruz provide creative and progressive midfield qualities. The selection also features Facundo Pellistri, Maximiliano Araújo and Rodrigo Zalazar among its attacking or advanced midfield choices.
position Goalkeeper
Sergio Ramón Rochet Álvarez
Santiago Andrés Mele Castanero
Néstor Fernando Muslera Micol
position Defender
José María Giménez de Vargas
Sebastián Enzo Cáceres Ramos
Ronald Federico Araújo da Silva
Guillermo Varela Olivera
Mathías Olivera Miramontes
Matías Nicolás Viña Susperreguy
Santiago Ignacio Bueno Sciutto
Juan Manuel Sanabria Magole
position Midfielder
Manuel Ugarte Ribeiro
Rodrigo Bentancur Colmán
Diego Nicolás de la Cruz Arcosa
Federico Santiago Valverde Dipetta
Giorgian Daniel de Arrascaeta Benedetti
Facundo Pellistri Rebollo
Agustín Canobbio Graviz
Emiliano Martínez Toranza
Maximiliano Javier Araújo Vilches
Federico Sebastián Viñas Barboza
Rodrigo Zalazar Martínez
position Attacker
Darwin Gabriel Núñez Ribeiro
Paul Brian Rodríguez Bravo
Rodrigo Sebastián Aguirre Soto
Joaquín Piquerez Moreira
Last Uruguay Coachs
Marcelo Bielsa is Uruguay’s current head coach, having begun the role in May 2023. The timeline also includes Marcelo Broli from February to March 2023, Diego Alonso from December 2021 to December 2022 and Óscar Tabárez from September 2018 to November 2021. Fabián Coito appears for August to September 2018, completing the recent senior appointment sequence in the national team’s chronology. The five-entry sequence spans August 2018 to August 2026.
Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera
History
| Coach | Coach country | Coach since | Coach until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marcelo Alberto Bielsa Caldera | Argentina | 1 May 2023 | |
| Marcelo Carlo Broli Gorgoroso | Uruguay | 1 February 2023 | 1 March 2023 |
| Diego Martín Alonso López | Uruguay | 1 December 2021 | 1 December 2022 |
| Óscar Washington Tabárez Silva | Uruguay | 1 September 2018 | 1 November 2021 |
| Fabián Coito Machado | Uruguay | 1 August 2018 | 1 September 2018 |
| Carlos Enrique Watson Simes | Costa Rica | 25 September 2012 | 1 December 2014 |
| Óscar Washington Tabárez Silva | Uruguay | 1 March 2006 | 1 August 2018 |
| Jorge Daniel Fossati Lurachi | Uruguay | 1 April 2004 | 1 December 2005 |
| Óscar Washington Tabárez Silva | Uruguay | 1 January 1989 | 1 June 1991 |
| Alberto Horacio Suppici Sedes | Uruguay | 1 January 1928 | 1 December 1932 |
Uruguay Transfers
Uruguay’s movement into the squad is selection-based rather than a transfer-market process. The recorded group contains 26 players selected by the national setup, with places determined by eligibility, availability and sporting choice. Additions can therefore represent a first call-up, a return from injury or absence, or continuity from an earlier international window, not a signing, loan or fee-bearing arrival. No individual incoming call-up change is recorded in the available material, so this section describes the mechanism rather than naming unverified additions.
Latest player transfers from
| Player | Team from | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Alemán |
Real Espana
|
N/A | 1 July 2015 |
| Erick Arnoldo Scott Bernard |
CS Cartagines
|
N/A | 1 July 2014 |
| Dave Andrew Myrie Medrano |
Limon FC
|
Free | 1 July 2012 |
| Erick Arnoldo Scott Bernard |
Santos DE Guapiles
|
Free | 1 July 2012 |
Uruguay’s departures are also selection events, not club sales or loans. Players may be omitted from a window because of eligibility, fitness, availability, tactical preference or a return to club duties, while a withdrawal can alter the group without creating a contractual transfer. No specific omission or withdrawal is identified alongside the 26-player selection. The 26-player selection therefore supports a description of selection mechanics, not a named list of players leaving the national team.
Latest player transfers to
| Player | Team to | Transfer type | Transfer date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Froylan Jesús Alfaro Rosales |
Limon FC
|
Free | 1 July 2019 |
| A. Alemán |
Municipal Grecia
|
N/A | 1 July 2017 |
| Erick Arnoldo Scott Bernard |
Limon FC
|
N/A | 1 January 2015 |
| Dave Andrew Myrie Medrano |
CS Herediano
|
N/A | 1 July 2013 |
| Erick Arnoldo Scott Bernard |
CS Cartagines
|
N/A | 1 July 2013 |
Transfers Synthesis
For Uruguay, movement is governed by the rhythms of international selection rather than club-market activity. A player enters the group when the coaching staff names him, eligibility is confirmed and availability aligns with a particular window or tournament. A return from injury, a renewed call-up or a change in tactical preference can refresh the squad without any permanent move between employers. The reverse process is equally distinct: omission, withdrawal, suspension, fitness concerns or the end of an international window may remove a player temporarily, while his club relationship remains separate. The latest selection lists 26 players but does not identify individual incoming or outgoing changes. The meaningful pattern is therefore cyclical and competitive, with continuity balanced against evaluation of alternatives across goalkeeping, defence, midfield and attack. This selection model reflects the national team’s need to assemble a qualified group for each period of competition, not to accumulate a standing transfer roster.
Leagues Uruguay has participated in
Uruguay’s recorded competition portfolio spans global tournaments, South American qualification and a range of international fixtures. World Cup participation and South American World Cup qualifying are recent entries through 2026, while friendlies remain a recent part of the record through 2025. Copa América is recorded through 2024 but is historical within this competition list. Earlier entries include the China Cup in 2018 and 2019, the intercontinental World Cup play-off in 2014 and the Confederations Cup in 2013. Together, these records trace Uruguay’s path from qualification campaigns and tournament finals to regular preparation matches, with the World Cup and its South American qualifying route forming the latest competitive context.
More about Uruguay
Uruguay’s national football team, commonly known as La Celeste, represents a country whose football identity is built on achievement, resilience and a strong sense of collective tradition. The Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol was founded in 1900, the same year used for the team’s recorded foundation. Uruguay joined CONMEBOL in 1916 and FIFA in 1923, placing the selection within the institutional history of South American and world football.
The team’s formative era established an extraordinary international reputation. Uruguay won Olympic gold in Paris in 1924 and Amsterdam in 1928, triumphs recognized in the historical world championship context of the period. It then hosted and won the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930, defeating Argentina in the final. Its second World Cup triumph came in 1950, when Uruguay overcame Brazil in the decisive match at the Maracanã, an achievement remembered as the Maracanazo. The modern revival under Óscar Tabárez brought a fourth-place World Cup finish in 2010 and the 2011 Copa América title.
Sky-blue shirts, traditionally paired with black shorts and socks, give the team its enduring nickname. The four stars on the crest reflect the two Olympic victories and two FIFA World Cup titles recognized in its official history. The idea of garra charrúa, associated with tenacity and defiance, remains central to the team’s public character.
Uruguay does not rely on one permanent home venue. Estadio Centenario in Montevideo is the historic principal setting, while Estadio Gran Parque Central and venues elsewhere in the country also host matches. Supporter culture blends national pride with drum-led candombe rhythms and an expectation of commitment. The rivalry with Argentina is among football’s oldest, while matches with Brazil carry their own continental intensity. Behind the senior side, the Complejo Celeste supports a connected youth pathway designed to carry shared tactical and developmental principles into future national selections.
Last matches statistics for Uruguay
| match | shots | Poss. | Pass % | Fouls | Cards | Saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Chile
0 - 0
Uruguay
|
3 / 6 |
|
85 | 14 | 1 | 3 |
|
Uruguay
1 - 0
Dominican Republic
|
1 / 11 |
|
89 | 17 | 1 | 4 |
|
Uzbekistan
1 - 2
Uruguay
|
4 / 13 |
|
84 | 13 | - | 1 |
|
Mexico
0 - 0
Uruguay
|
2 / 3 |
|
84 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
|
USA
5 - 1
Uruguay
|
2 / 9 |
|
83 | 0 | 2 1 | 2 |
|
England
1 - 1
Uruguay
|
1 / 9 |
|
87 | 9 | 2 | 4 |
|
Algeria
0 - 0
Uruguay
|
1 / 11 |
|
88 | 16 | 3 | 0 |
|
Saudi Arabia
1 - 1
Uruguay
|
10 / 27 |
|
88 | 6 | - | 2 |
|
Uruguay
2 - 2
Cape Verde Islands
|
2 / 16 |
|
83 | 8 | 2 | |
|
Uruguay
0 - 1
Spain
|
1 / 5 |
|
76 | 14 | 3 1 | 0 |
Detailed statistics Uruguay
Xtra rating history
Last rating points (most recent matches).
shots Uruguay
Warnings Uruguay
Passes Uruguay
Goalkeeper saves Uruguay
Latest start lineups Uruguay (XI)
Uruguay vs Spain
World Cup 2026 - 1489417
Uruguay vs Cape Verde Islands
World Cup 2026 - 1489398
Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay
World Cup 2026 - 1489379
England vs Uruguay
Friendlies 2026 - 1502470
USA vs Uruguay
Friendlies 2025 - 1457379
Mexico vs Uruguay
Friendlies 2025 - 1469292
2026
1st shirt
2026
2nd shirt
2021
1st shirt
2021
2nd shirt
2018-2019
1st shirt