Uruguay bids farewell to the World Cup with a 0-1 loss to Spain. It’s a disappointment that stings twice as much, given that Group H rival Cape Verde managed to secure second place with just three meager points. Coach Marcelo Bielsa, as is often the case, gave a very brief interview.
Three games, two points. For Uruguay, which would have needed only a 0-0 draw against Spain to advance, the 2026 World Cup is already over after the group stage. “I wasn’t able to tap into the team’s potential and strength,” said a disgruntled Marcelo Bielsa on MagentaTV after the final 0-1 loss to a Spanish team that was by no means overwhelming and certainly didn’t put on a spectacular performance.
Later, the 70-year-old elaborated. “The journalists and fans of Uruguayan soccer rightly want to blame me. I’m the one in charge, and I have to accept that.” His tenure will be remembered as “a phase that left nothing behind,” said “El Loco.”
Bielsa Takes the Captain Off the Field
The already heated discussions surrounding Bielsa are sure to gain momentum. The coach himself likely added fuel to the fire when he took Fede Valverde off the field—in the 56th minute. The captain, whose quality is beyond question, hasn’t really impressed in this tournament. But it was clear from his astonished expression that the Real Madrid star was not amused by his substitution. What words might the 27-year-old have muttered to himself behind his jersey, which he pulled over his mouth? It may remain his secret. Bielsa, in any case, justified the substitution by saying he had expected more “attacking quality” from substitute Federico Vinas.
La Celeste has only itself to blame for its elimination, as there was more to be had in all three matches—in which the South Americans were only convincing in spurts. A flurry of chances in the 1–1 draw against Saudi Arabia, defensive blunders in the 2–2 draw against Cape Verde, and a performance that wasn’t really any worse in the 0–1 loss to Spain.
Muslera: A Constant Source of Uncertainty
And always right in the thick of it: Fernando Muslera, whom Bielsa had specifically recalled for the World Cup. None of the four goals conceded were unstoppable, but the 40-year-old keeper’s most glaring error came in the decisive group stage match against Spain, when he let a poorly placed and weak bouncing shot from Alex Baena slip through his hands—the final chapter of a disastrous World Cup (42nd minute).
The consequence followed immediately: The veteran did not return to the field after the second half began. According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Bielsa had granted his goalkeeper’s request: “Fernando Muslera asked me to be substituted at halftime.” When asked by MagentaTV what he had said to Muslera about his substitution, however, the 70-year-old replied, “Nothing”—and was gone again after a typically brief interview.
Both Muslera’s selection and Fede Valverde’s substitution—as well as, of course, the early World Cup exit—could now come back to haunt the veteran coach.
