Uruguay head into the final phase of their preparations for the World Cup with manager Marcelo Bielsa confirming he will step down after the 2026 tournament. He has unveiled a 26-man squad, retaining an injured midfielder while also adding a Real Salt Lake player, signalling a blend of experience and fresh talent as the team prepares for the finals. With the World Cup looming, Uruguay must sharpen cohesion and performance to give Bielsa a fitting farewell and to ensure they arrive in North America ready to compete.
Uruguay line up against Saudi Arabia away in Group H as the Saudis seek to keep it tight and bounce back. Uruguay are undefeated in their last two games (1-1 with England and 0-0 with Algeria) after a 5-1 loss to the USA last time out, and they have won one, drawn four and lost two of their last seven away matches. The side are a much better team than Saudi Arabia, although they haven't been at their best recently and are coming off a run of three draws, one win and one defeat in their last five games, and they are vulnerable at the back. They are unbeaten in two, but one of those games was a 0-0 draw with a solid Algeria side, and have conceded nine goals in their last seven away games, which is a concern.
World Cup Group H
