Uruguay
Uruguay arrive at their 14th tournament — two-time champions (1930, 1950) — with a thrilling new generation. Marcelo Bielsa, who took over in 2023, has injected his trademark high press into a squad fronted by Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) and Maxi Araújo (Sporting CP). Manuel Ugarte (Manchester United) anchors midfield; José Giménez and Ronald Araújo lead the back. La Celeste reached the 2024 Copa América semi-final and look hungrier than at any point since 2010's fourth-place finish. Group H with Spain, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde is winnable for second; with Bielsa's ceiling, anything from the round of 16 to the semi-final is plausible. The talent matches the ambition.
Upcoming matches
Group H standings
| # | Teams | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Cape Verde | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Saudi Arabia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Uruguay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |