No friendlies, Bielsa's exhausting drills, and Araujo's brother's backlash: Is Uruguay ready for WC kick-off?
Reading Time: 4min | Mon. 15.06.26. | 17:55
The two-time World Champions play their World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia tonight (01.00), yet the situation in and around the team is far from ideal
Marcelo Bielsa has long been one of the most famous managers in football - mainly because of his exceptional results with Newell's Old Boys in his homeland, Argentina, Athletic Bilbao in Spain, Leeds United in England, and the Argentina national team.
However, his often peculiar methods and pretty odd character have been the second reason for his popularity and his worldwide known nickname - El Loco (Crazy Man).
When he took over the Uruguay national team in May 2023, the public was thrilled, as he was seen as a worthy successor to the legendary Oscar Tabarez, who led La Celeste from 2006 to 2021, winning the 2011 Copa America and reaching the World Cup semi-finals in 2010.
Nevertheless, as Uruguay's opening game in the 2026 Mundial approaches, things are becoming increasingly alarming, and Bielsa's responsibility is the greatest.
Out of 48 participating teams, La Celeste are the only one that hasn't played a single warm-up match for the World Cup, their last match being a friendly against Algeria on March 31.
This has gone unnoticed until now crazy !
— Daz (@D7azza) June 9, 2026
Suddenly it’s a question , will they be match ready in that humidity and no match fitness of even 45 minutes 😳
* England 1–1 Uruguay — played on 27 March 2026.
* Algeria 0–0 Uruguay — played on 31 March 2026.
10 weeks
One would think the lack of matches before the tournament would help prevent injuries, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Ahead of the clash against Saudi Arabia tonight (01.00), Uruguay have lost one of their best playmakers, Giorgian de Arrascaeta and one of the most high-profile names in their squad, Barcelona's Ronald Araujo, to calf injuries - reportedly, all because of Bielsa's exhausting training sessions!
The Catalans' centre-back has allegedly arrived in the national team's camp with a semi-injured calf and a recommendation to rest for a week and ease his workload.
However, according to reports, he has been subjected to intense physical demands after just two days, aggravating the injury and forcing him to travel to Spain to see a trusted specialist in an attempt to recover in time.
Once the news of Araujo's condition emerged, his furious brother lashed out at Bielsa on social media, writing: "Thank you for injuring players just days before the World Cup."
Ronald Araújo's brother shared a story on IG directed at Marcelo Bielsa, Uruguay's national team coach: 🗣️ “Thanks for injuring players just days before the World Cup.” 😬 pic.twitter.com/zK76A9pSlt
— Kingspride™️ (@BARCAKingspride) June 9, 2026
Still, despite all the problems and the flight that was delayed due to certain paperwork issues, the Uruguayans will have to find a way to handle them, as the opening match is just around the corner and the rival is anything but naive.
With players like Darwin Nunez, Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur, Manuel Ugarte, and others, La Celeste are still the favourites.
But can they justify that role on the pitch after everything that's happened, and will Bielsa once again spark public outrage and live up to his infamous nickname? We'll see tonight.
WORLD CUP - GROUP STAGE
First round
Thursday, 11.06.
Mexico - South Africa 2-0 (1-0)
/Quinones 9, Jimenez 67/
Friday, 12. 06.
South Korea - Czech Republic 2-1 (0-0)
/Hwang In Beom 67, Oh Hyeon-Gyu 80 - Krejci 59/
Canada - B&H 1-1 (0-1)
/Larin 78 - Lukic 21/
Saturday, 13.06.
USA - Paraguay 4-1 (3-0)
/Bobadilla 7 og, Balogun 31, 45+5, Reyna 90+8 - Mauricio 73/
Qatar - Switzerland 1-1 (0-1)
/Khoukhi 90+4 - Embolo 17 pen/
Sunday, 14.06.
Brazil - Morocco 1-1 (1-1)
/Vinicius 42- Saibari 21/
Haiti 0-1 Scotland (0-1)
/McGinn 29/
Australia - Turkey 2-0 (1-0)
/Irankunda 27, Metcalfe 75/
Germany - Curacao 7-1 (3-1)
/Nmecha 6, Schlotterbeck 38, Havertz 45+3(p), 88, Musiala 47, Brown 68, Undav 78 - Comenencia 21/
Netherlands - Japan 2-1 (0-0)
/Van Dijk 51, Summerville 64 - Nakamura 57/
Monday, 15.06.
Ivory Coast - Ecuador 1-0 (0-0)
/Diallo 90/
Sweden - Tunisia 5-1 (2-1)
/Ayari 7, 90+6, Isak 30, Gyokeres , Svanberg 84 - Rekik 43/
19.00: (1.10) Spain (9.50) Cape Verde (27.0)
22.00: (1.70) Belgium (4.00) Egypt (4.75)
Tuesday 16.06.
01.00: (7.50) Saudi Arabia (4.20) Uruguay (1.47)
04.00: (1.95) Iran (3.35) N.Zealand (4.20)
22.00: (1.47) France (4.50) Senegal (6.75)
***odds are subject to change***