Uruguay 2022 World Cup Preview: Suarez, Cavani Return for Resurgent Celeste

Uruguay rallied in World Cup qualifying and heads to Qatar still reliant on an old guard—but with some capable young blood set to take the baton.

With 15 Copa América trophies and two World Cup titles, including the inaugural World Cup in 1930, Uruguay is international soccer royalty. But it may not be fully appreciated given that Uruguay has won only one major trophy (the 2011 Copa América) since the turn of the century. La Celeste have advanced to the knockout stage in each of the last three World Cups, but their run to the 2010 semifinals remains their biggest recent accomplishment.

Óscar Tabárez, the architect of that 2010 team and the manager of Uruguay’s last three World Cup runs, was dismissed in December due to the country’s poor form in World Cup qualifying, which included only two wins in the first seven qualifiers along with four straight losses at the time of his departure. In came former Inter Miami manager Diego Alonso, who led the team to four straight qualifying wins and a ticket to Qatar.

La Celeste have lost only once under Alonso—a 1–0 friendly loss to Iran in September—in nine matches, which includes seven wins. But Alonso will face a few challenges in Qatar and features an attack that still relies on aging superstars in Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez, who have already appeared at three World Cups.

Group H Schedule (all times Eastern)

- South Korea, Nov. 24, 8 a.m.

- Portugal, Nov. 28, 2 p.m.

- Ghana, Dec. 2, 10 p.m.

Coach

Diego Alonso, hired in December 2021

Players to Watch

Luis Suárez, forward

Despite his age, the 35-year-old striker is still a major part of this Uruguay team. Suárez finished second on the goalscoring charts in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying with eight goals en route to qualifying for his fourth World Cup. The former Barcelona and Liverpool star has scored seven goals in his World Cup career, one behind the Uruguayan record. After two years with Atlético Madrid, Suárez made the move back to Uruguay with Nacional, where he has scored eight goals in 14 appearances.

Edinson Cavani, forward

With 58 international goals, the iconic forward only trails Suárez (68) on Uruguay’s all-time goalscoring list. And, like Suárez, he is still heavily relied upon by La Celeste despite being 35 years old and in the twilight of his career. Since joining La Liga side Valencia over the summer, Cavani has scored four goals in seven appearances, although his campaign has been interrupted by injuries, including an ankle problem that could affect him at the World Cup. Still, after scoring three of the nation’s seven goals in Russia, Cavani will be expected to contribute in big moments in Qatar.

Federico Valverde, midfielder

The versatile midfielder has really come into his own for Real Madrid over the last year. And after starting in the Champions League final and taking home the trophy, Valverde has broken out with a career season. The 24-year-old already has set a career high for goals with eight in 18 matches this season and has become a critical part of Carlo Ancelotti’s setup. With the national team, Valverde can play on the wing, in defensive midfielder or even at fullback. His work rate is second to none, and his distribution will be key to feeding Uruguay’s attack.

Núñez represents the future at forward for Uruguay :: Sebastian Frej/Imago Images

Breakout Candidate

Darwin Núñez, forward

The 23-year-old is a dynamic striker who appears to have every tool in the box to be one of the world’s top forwards. Núñez is a commanding presence in the box but also possesses breakaway speed and uncanny agility for his size. After scoring 26 league goals in 28 appearances for Benfica last season, Liverpool completed a club-record move for Núñez this summer (the fee could reportedly reach $100 million), where he has gone on to score seven goals in 17 games so far. Núñez has only scored once so far this year for Uruguay (in September’s 2–0 friendly win over Canada), but will be counted on to shine at his first World Cup.

World Cup History

- 14th appearance

- Last appearance: 2018 (Quarterfinals)

- Best finish: Winner in 1930 and 1950

Outlook and Expectations

Tabárez’s sides have raised the bar to the point that Uruguay is back as a renowned international power. But that also means that expectations at every major tournament will follow suit, and after at least reaching the quarterfinals in two of its last three tournaments, Uruguay will be expected by many to make a deep run in Qatar with a group of seasoned veterans and upcoming stars.

The problem is that it will face a strong push from Portugal as the group favorite, and whoever finishes second in the group will likely have to face World Cup-favorite Brazil in the round of 16. The key may not be Uruguay’s vaunted attack but its defense, which is too old at some positions and too inexperienced at other spots. Portugal and South Korea will test that defense in the group stage, and Uruguay’s fate could very well be decided early. But a strong midfield featuring Valverde and Rodrigo Bentancur should give La Celeste hope moving forward.

World Cup Squad

GOALKEEPERS: Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Sergio Rochet (Nacional), Sebastián Sosa (Independiente)

DEFENDERS: Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Martín Cáceres (LA Galaxy), Sebastián Coates (Sporting CP), José Giménez (Atlético Madrid), Diego Godín (Velez Sarsfield), Mathías Olivera (Napoli), José Luis Rodriguez (Nacional), Guillermo Varela (Flamengo), Matías Viña (Roma)

MIDFIELDERS: Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Flamengo), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham), Nicolás de la Cruz (River Plate), Lucas Torreira (Galatasaray), Manuel Ugarte (Sporting CP), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Matías Vecino (Lazio)

FORWARDS: Agustín Cannobio (Athletico Paranaense), Edinson Cavani (Valencia), Maxi Gómez (Trabzonspor), Darwin Núñez (Liverpool), Facundo Pellistri (Manchester United), Luis Suárez (Nacional), Facundo Torres (Orlando City)