Uruguay National Team World Cup Betting
The inaugural World Cup champions might not be competitive again for some time after its current golden generation hangs up its boots. Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are both 35, so this will likely be their last World Cup with Uruguay. They have had a lot of success over the years with Uruguay, but this should be the last hurrah for the two leading goal scorers in the country’s long history.
Manager: Diego Alonso
Nicknames: La Celeste
Confederation: CONMEBOL (South America)
FIFA Ranking: 13 (March 2022)
Uruguay World Cup Betting Odds
To Win Group H: +210
To Win 2022 World Cup: +5250
*Odds as of May 4, 2022
Uruguay Group Stage Schedule
Uruguay vs. South Korea, Thursday, November 24, 2022, 8 a.m. ET, at Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan (FS1)
Portugal vs. Uruguay, Monday, November 28, 2022, 2 p.m. ET, at Lusail Iconic Stadium in Lusail (FOX)
Ghana vs. Uruguay, Friday, December 2, 2022, 10 a.m. ET, at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah (FS1)
History at the World Cup
Appearances: 14 (first in 1930)
Best Result: Champions (1930, 1950)
Uruguay won the inaugural World Cup on home soil in 1930. The Sky Blue bested Peru 1-0 and Romania 4-0 to make it the semifinals, and they obliterated Yugoslavia 6-1 in that match. That led to a showdown with Argentina in the finals, and Uruguay erased a 2-1 halftime deficit to win the match 4-2 and lift the Jules Rimet Trophy.
The country did not take part in the World Cup in either 1934 or 1938, but Uruguay proved they were still the best team in the world when the competition returned to South America in 1950. They hammered Bolivia 8-0, drew Spain 2-2, and came from behind to beat Sweden 3-2 to set up an all-or-nothing showdown with hosts Brazil in the Estadio do Maracana for the World Cup. Brazil took the lead early in the second half, but Juan Alberto Schiaffino and Alcides Ghiggia scored to stun the crowd of nearly 175,000.
We saw Uruguay travel to Europe for the 1954 World Cup, and the Sky Blue earned a fourth-place finish after falling to favorites Hungary in extra time. They again earned a fourth-place finish at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, but they failed to make it past the Round of 16 for four decades prior to the 2010 World Cup.
The Sky Blue were placed in arguably the toughest group at the 2010 World Cup. They had to play against hosts South Africa, Mexico, and France, but they beat the first two teams and drew the French to top the table. Uruguay then bested South Korea 2-1 in the Round of 16 and knocked off Ghana in penalties to make the semifinals, but the Netherlands were too much and ended their run just before the final.
What to Watch
Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani are two of the greatest players in the history of Uruguay. Suarez is the all-time leading scorer for the country with 68 goals in 132 matches, and Cavani is just behind him with 54 goals in 130 matches. Neither player is at the top of his game anymore, but both Suarez and Cavani are capable of creating magic with the ball. Darwin Nunez and Maxi Gomez look to be the heir apparents, so we’ll see how much run they get from coach Diego Alonso.
Matias Vecino, Federico Valverde, Lucas Torreira, and Rodridgo Bentancur are expected to make up the midfield. This isn’t a high-scoring bunch, but they can set the table for the two talented strikers.
The most capped player in Uruguay’s history is Diego Godin. He is the captain for the Sky Blue, and this will definitely be his last World Cup as he has 157 appearances in almost two decades. Jose Gimenez is a talented defender in his prime, while Martin Caceres is another veteran that will likely start in the back line too. Fernando Muslera should be the first-choice goalkeeper, and he has 131 appearances.
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