In the books of the World Cup, Uruguay always will hold a special place. They hosted and won the first tournament in 1930.
They have given the world some of the best goal scorers this century, including Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, and Diego Forlan. Suarez, Cavani, veteran center-back Diego Godin, and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera are all still playing even now, well into their 30s. La Celeste reached the semi-finals in 2010, albeit under questionable circumstances, and finished fourth.
However, the current generation of Uruguayan players has a good balance of youth and experience, with many players in the squad, such as Manchester United prospect Facundo Pellistri, in their early to mid-twenties.
When Uruguay and Ghana play each other for the first time since 2010, Group H could produce one of the first round’s tastiest matchups. That previous match is still remembered as one of the most infamous in World Cup history, with Luis Suarez using his hands to stop Asamoah Gyan from giving Ghana the lead with a goal at the very end of extra time, Gyan missing the ensuing penalty, and Uruguay winning the shootout to deny Ghana a spot in history as Africa’s first-ever semifinalists.
Uruguay confirmed squad for the World Cup
Goalkeepers: Fernando Muslera, Sebastian Sosa, Sergio Rochet
Defenders: Diego Godin, Jose Gimenez, Ronald Araujo, Guillermo Varela, Mathias Olivera, Matias Vina, Sebastian Coates, Jose Luis Rodriguez, Martin Caceres
Midfielders: Rodrigo Bentancur, Matias Vecino, Nicolas de la Cruz, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Lucas Torreira, Manuel Ugarte, Federico Valverde
Forwards: Luis Suarez, Facundo Pellistri, Darwin Nunez, Maxi Gomez, Facundo Torres, Edinson Cavani, Agustin Canobbio
Edinson Cavani missed Valencia’s final two games before the World Cup break, but Uruguay hasn’t had to leave anyone significant off the roster due to injury. Choosing Ronald Araujo could also be risky because the Barcelona defender has been sidelined since having surgery on his thigh muscle in September, which appeared to rule him out of this competition. Cristhian Stuani, 36, was left out despite having a respectable season for Girona in La Liga.
Players to watch
Luis Suarez
The former Liverpool, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid star Luis Suarez may be close to 36 years old, past his prime, and gearing up for his fourth and final World Cup, but he is still one of the greatest players of his generation. No one should undervalue the player. Since July, Suarez has been playing club football for Nacional, Uruguay’s first professional team, and has eight goals in 14 games.
Darwin Nunez
The next star striker for Uruguay is prepared to step up as Suarez and Edinson Cavani get ready to retire after Qatar. Darwin Nunez, who cost £85 million and has produced impressive stats for Liverpool amidst a well-publicized rocky start, is competing in his first World Cup. The 23-year-old, who will likely start, scored his first international goal in 2 years against Canada to at least commemorate his final Uruguayan appearance.
Federico Valverde
With players like 2021 Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Thibaut Courtois on his team, Federico Valverde has emerged as one of Real Madrid’s finest and most crucial players over the past 18 months. He has recently thrived as a wide player at the club level, but he has also frequently played in the middle of the field for Uruguay. He is capable and versatile enough to perform either job equally well.
Jose Gimenez
It is significant that Atletico Madrid has lost four La Liga games this season without Jose Gimenez starting and never with him in the lineup. He was once the apprentice and is now the master. With former teammate Diego Godin still going strong at age 36, Uruguay should be challenging to defeat. Although he has since recovered from a back injury suffered in September, Uruguay’s centre back is equally important despite not having played for his country since June.
Uruguay has performed well in 2022, except for a shocking defeat to Iran. The fact that they have only allowed two goals in 9 games this season speaks volumes about their defence. After Oscar Tabarez was fired a year prior, they finished the qualifying round strongly, winning four straight matches against Paraguay, Venezuela, Peru, and Chile to secure a spot in Qatar that had previously appeared uncertain.
Because both South Korea and Ghana have demonstrated their ability to upset the odds at previous World Cups, Group H is not the easiest. Ghana may even be more motivated than usual as they seek to exact justice for 2010. With all of their talent and experience, though, Uruguay will likely be expected to advance to the knockout rounds and possibly finish first overall, ahead of Portugal.
With Switzerland as the likely opponent in the round of 16, Uruguay would have a strong and well-prepared advantage. It might be difficult to go much further when the opposition becomes much stronger.
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