World Cup 2022

Uruguay will forever be inextricably linked to the World Cup, as they hosted the first-ever FIFA edition back in 1930 - and beat Argentina in the final.

They won it again in 1950 but the closest they’ve come since is 4th, so they head to Qatar hoping to improve that recent record.

Who is the Uruguay manager?

There’s a fresh face at the managerial helm, as Diego Alonso leads Uruguay into what fans hope is a new era. He has replaced the legendary Oscar Tabárez, who oversaw the last three World Cup and six Copa America campaigns.

In moving on from Tabarez, Uruguay hoped to better embrace a talented young crop of players emerging and combine that with a more attacking outlook where possible. 

What tactics can we expect from them at the World Cup?

But if you think they’re about to storm Qatar with free-flowing, possession stuff—think again. This is Uruguay; there is an underlying grit and aggression that shapes the way they play, one that you’ll never shake and never want to anyway.

 

Expect the tried and trusted 4-4-2 formation, which can morph into more of a 4-2-2-2 at times. They’ll be aggressive in the centre of the park and look to counter-attack whenever possible, utilising the speed and hard running of several important players.

Who are the players to watch for Uruguay?

In the middle of it will be Federico Valverde, Real Madrid superstar. He’s had a frankly stunning 2022 and, since delivering the winning assist in the Champions League final, has gone up several gears with regard to midfield influence and scoring goals.

He’s a do-it-all type of player, who seems as effective mucking in defensively as he is striding forward and unleashing thunderbolts on goal. He scored some crackers during qualifying and figures to be Uruguay’s key man in Qatar.

Who is favourite to be top scorer for Uruguay?

Of near-equal importance to him is Darwin Nunez, who figures to be this team’s chief goalscoring outlet at the finals. 

That wasn’t the case during qualifying, but since then Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, who are both 35, have either slowed down or spent time without a club. They simply won’t be able to play every game or for 90 minutes, so the buck will stop with Darwin.

He’ll play as the left striker in the front two, peel wide and then crash back into the box at the far post to meet crosses - a bit like he did so effectively at Benfica.

How did Uruguay qualify for the World Cup?

Qualification for this tournament wasn’t simple, as Uruguay had to put together a late four-game win streak to surge into 3rd place behind Brazil and Argentina. Changing managers was a factor in this, as draws had plagued the middle stretch of their campaign and allowed others to skip ahead.

That run of wins has given them great momentum and confidence heading into the finals, and when they were drawn into a group with Portugal, South Korea and Ghana, optimism increased further.

What are the ambitions for this Uruguay team?

The modern expectation of Uruguay is that they qualify from the group and go toe-to-toe with the very best in the knockouts, which they’ve managed in nine of their 14 World Cup campaigns. Expect them to progress to the last 16, and from there, anything can happen.

Uruguay World Cups Odds

All things considered, Uruguay can be considered a dark horse, they could well gain momentum if they get through their stern test of a group, but are still a chunky 40/1.

Uruguay World Cup prediction by oddschecker

Uruguay are expected to qualify from their group along with Portugal. However, should they come runners up, they could face Brazil, who are expected to win their group. In this case, we see them going out of the World Cup in the round of 16.