Uruguay face early World Cup exit after poor start under Bielsa

Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay are on the brink of an early World Cup exit after managing only two points from their opening two group-stage matches. The former Leeds United manager acknowledged the pressure ahead of a decisive clash against Spain, saying the team has "the necessity and obligation of winning."

Uruguay opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia before being held 1-1 by Cape Verde. With Spain already through, a loss on Friday night would eliminate Bielsa's side from the expanded 48-team tournament before the knockout rounds. Bielsa, who has confirmed he will step down after the 2026 World Cup, said he is "responsible for Uruguay only having two points from a possible six."

What went wrong for Uruguay?

Uruguay's struggles mark a stark contrast to their strong start in South American World Cup qualifiers, where they beat Argentina and Brazil before the 2024 Copa América. However, form dipped sharply after that tournament, with a 5-1 defeat to the United States and a cautious draw against England at Wembley where they barely crossed halfway.

• Several key players, including Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur and Darwin Núñez, have underperformed at club or international level.
• Bielsa's high-pressing system, once revolutionary, may have become predictable to opponents.
• Uruguay opted not to play warm-up friendlies, instead focusing on intensive training that introduced a failed new system against Saudi Arabia.
• Bielsa admitted he is responsible for the poor results, but also pointed to a lack of execution from the squad.

Despite the setbacks, Bielsa remains defiant ahead of the Spain match, calling it "an opportunity for the team to improve the impression they are making." Uruguay will need a much-improved performance to prolong their stay in the tournament.