Luis Suarez Misses Uruguay World Cup Squad as Bielsa Names Final 26

Suarez misses Uruguay World Cup squad

Luis Suarez misses out after criticizing Bielsa’s management style. Uruguay’s squad leans on Araujo, Gimenez, Valverde and Nunez with veterans phased out.

Darwin Nunez hasn’t played for Al Hilal since February after Benzema’s arrival. Uruguay open their World Cup vs Saudi Arabia on June 15, then Cape Verde and Spain...

Luis Suarez and Nahitan Nandez were the headline omissions as Marcelo Bielsa finalized Uruguay’s 26-man World Cup squad on Sunday.

Suarez, now 39, had kept the door ajar for a comeback. He said he’d undo his retirement if Uruguay needed him after being away from the national team for 20 months.

But there was no spot for him. Suarez had publicly criticized Bielsa’s management style, claiming it split the dressing room. He later said he’d apologized for those comments.

Nandez, 30, featured in several World Cup qualifiers for Uruguay, but Bielsa has moved away from older players and picked a squad skewed toward those in their prime.

The team is built around a solid defensive core of Ronald Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez and Mathias Olivera.

In midfield, Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur, Manuel Ugarte and Nicolas de la Cruz give Bielsa the high energy and pressing intensity he wants. Up front, Darwin Nunez leads the attack.

 

Nunez hasn’t featured for Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League since February. The club had to reshuffle its foreign-player slots after signing ex-Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema.

 

Uruguay land in Group H. They kick off against Saudi Arabia on June 15, then face Cape Verde and Spain.

URUGUAY'S WORLD CUP SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Sergio Rochet (Internacional), Fernando Muslera (Estudiantes), Santiago Mele (Monterrey)

Defenders: Guillermo Varela (Flamengo), Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Santiago Bueno (Wolves), Sebastian ‌Caceres (Club America), Mathias Olivera (Napoli), Joaquin Piquerez (Palmeiras), Matias Vina (River Plate)

Midfielders: Manuel Ugarte (Manchester United), Emiliano Martinez (Palmeiras), Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur), Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Agustin Canobbio (Fluminense), Juan Manuel Sanabria (Real Salt Lake), Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Flamengo), Nicolas De La Cruz (Flamengo), Rodrigo Zalazar (Braga), Facundo Pellistri (Panathinaikos), ⁠Maximiliano Araujo (Sporting CP), Brian Rodriguez (Club America)

Forwards: ⁠Rodrigo Aguirre (Tigres), Federico Vinas (Real Oviedo, on loan from Club Leon), ‌Darwin Nunez (Al Hilal)

La lista final, los 26 elegidos de Marcelo Bielsa para representar al país en la Copa Mundial 📋 pic.twitter.com/9vc6eilVpo

— Selección Uruguaya (@Uruguay) May 31, 2026