The 2026 World Cup group stages are coming to a close, and many countries have already bowed out of the 48-team competition.
The biggest international tournament in world football was expanded this year, meaning a record 32 teams make it through to the knockout rounds at the United States , Canada and Mexico-hosted event.
However, it means only 16 nations bow out in disappointment after the first stage. One of the more high-profile countries to fall short at this hurdle, alongside Scotland and Turkey, were Uruguay.
Players Punished For Shocking World Cup Display
The two-time champions were expected to progress through the group stage after being matched up against Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia. Especially with legendary manager Marcelo Bielsa at the helm.
However, it all unravelled very quickly for the South Americans. A disappointing draw against Saudi Arabia was followed by a hectic tie with Cape Verde. That left them needing maximum points against European champions Spain to ensure qualification for the next round.
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To make matters worse, reports of unrest between the players and Bielsa surfaced in the days leading up to the final group match. In the end, a Fernando Muslera mistake sealed a 1-0 defeat, and Uruguay were out with not so much as a whimper.
Reports in Uruguay (via The Sun ) have claimed the AUF have responded by punishing their players by cancelling their private flight home from Mexico. Each member of the staff and playing squad had to arrange their own way home as a result.
FIFA have approved the kit design, despite being against it in the past.
The exact reason for this decision hasn't been officially confirmed, but it appears an easy link to make when they exited the competition in such a poor way.
Marcelo Bielsa to Leave Uruguay After Angry Outburst
Bielsa wasn't in the mood for media duties after becoming the first South American nation to be eliminated from this year's competition. He had an angry outburst in a post-match interview , making his frustrations clear.
It's also been made clear that he will be leaving his role with the national side following their exit. An emotional Bielsa claimed he had left 'nothing' in his spell with the South Americans.
Seven teams at the 2026 World Cup can wear a special gold FIFA badge on their sleeves
He said (per The Guardian ): "I have not left anything to Uruguayan football. A coach who has been in a country for three years and not got results cannot say he has made a contribution. Fourth place in the qualifiers has no value and nor does third at the Copa América and there is no need to even define this performance [at the World Cup]. My time doesn’t say anything."
He then explained his reasoning for bringing off Muslera and talisman Federico Valverde. Claiming his side could've earned seven points instead of just two, he fumed:
"We could have seven points but we have two. This is the result of my management. It was my job to manage a group of players that I did not manage to turn into a force. If you want explanations – which I don’t think you want – I would say that of the seven points we deserved, we got two.
"I am responsible for what Uruguay did at this World Cup. [Your] questions do not seek answers but a chance to attack me. I am responsible for all the disappointment because of the job I did. But if I have to analyse what happened, I also have to include the errors. Muslera was the one who decided to depart and I took Valverde off because I wanted to strengthen the attack."
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