Marcelo Bielsa confirmed he will step down as Uruguay's national team coach following the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19 in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada [1, 2]. "Our job ends with the World Cup," Bielsa said [1].
Bielsa was appointed Uruguay manager in 2023, succeeding Diego Alonso [1, 2]. Under his leadership, Uruguay secured qualification through the CONMEBOL qualifiers and finished third at the 2024 Copa America [1, 2]. However, his relationship with the squad became strained after public criticism from leading scorer Luis Suarez [1, 2].
Uruguay's recent results have been mixed. In March 2026, the team drew matches against England and Algeria, while in November 2025, they suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to the United States [1, 2].
This World Cup marks Bielsa's third as a head coach, having previously led Argentina in 2002 and Chile in 2014 [1, 2]. Reflecting on his career, he called participating in the World Cup "a miracle in any professional's sporting career" and said he would be "forever grateful to Uruguay for allowing me to enjoy a competition like the World Cup" [1, 2].
Uruguay opens its 2026 campaign on June 15 against Saudi Arabia, with group matches against Cape Verde and Spain to follow in Group H [1, 2]. Bielsa's contract is set to expire at the conclusion of the tournament [1, 2].