Marcelo Bielsa announced Uruguay's final 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup on May 31, 2026, leaving out veteran forwards Luis Suarez and Nahitan Nandez [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Suarez, 39, Uruguay's record goal scorer with 69 goals and 143 caps, had left open the possibility of an international return after a 20-month absence, saying he would reverse his retirement if needed by the national side [1]. However, he was not selected for the tournament. [1, 2, 4, 5]
Nahitan Nandez, 30, who featured in several World Cup qualifiers, was phased out by Bielsa in favor of a younger core focused on players in their prime [1, 3, 4, 5]. The squad's defensive backbone includes Ronald Araujo of Barcelona, Jose Maria Gimenez of Atletico Madrid, and Mathias Olivera of Napoli [1, 3, 4, 5].
In midfield, Bielsa chose Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham), Manuel Ugarte (Manchester United), and Nicolas de la Cruz (Flamengo) to provide energy and pressing intensity [1, 2, 4, 5]. The attack is led by Darwin Nunez, despite his lack of play since February 2026 due to a foreign player registration shuffle at Al-Hilal after Karim Benzema's signing [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The final squad includes three Premier League players: Ugarte, Santiago Bueno, and Bentancur [2]. Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, aged 39, was retained despite his advanced age [5].
Uruguay is drawn in Group H for the World Cup and will face Saudi Arabia on June 15, followed by matches against Cape Verde and Spain [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The first group match against Saudi Arabia is scheduled less than three weeks after the squad announcement [1, 2, 4].
