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Uruguay national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Uruguay women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Uruguay
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) La Celeste (The Sky Blue)
Los Charrúas (The Charrúas)
Association Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol (AUF)
Confederation CONMEBOL (South America)
Head coach Marcelo Bielsa
Captain José María Giménez
Most caps Diego Godín (161)
Top scorer Luis Suárez (68)
Home stadium Estadio Centenario
FIFA code URU
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 7 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 2 (June 2012)
Lowest 76 (December 1998)
Elo ranking
Current 11 Increase 2 (3 March 2019)
Highest 1 (Various dates 1920–29)
Lowest 48 (5 September 1979)
First international
 Uruguay 0–6 Argentina 
(Montevideo, Uruguay; 20 July 1902)
Biggest win
 Uruguay 9–0 Bolivia 
(Lima, Peru; 6 November 1927)
Biggest defeat
 Uruguay 0–6 Argentina 
(Montevideo, Uruguay; 20 July 1902)
World Cup
Appearances 14 (first in 1930)
Best result Champions (1930, 1950)
Copa América
Appearances 45 (first in 1916)
Best result Champions (1916, 1917, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1935, 1942, 1956, 1959, 1967, 1983, 1987, 1995, 2011)
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions
Appearances 1 (first in 1985)
Best result Runners-up (1985)
Confederations Cup
Appearances 2 (first in 1997)
Best result Fourth place (1997, 2013)
Medal record
FIFA World Cup
Gold 1930 Uruguay Team
Gold 1950 Brazil Team
Copa América
Gold 1916 Argentina Team
Gold 1917 Uruguay Team
Gold 1920 Chile Team
Gold 1923 Uruguay Team
Gold 1924 Uruguay Team
Gold 1926 Chile Team
Gold 1935 Peru Team
Gold 1942 Uruguay Team
Gold 1956 Uruguay Team
Gold 1959 Ecuador Team
Gold 1967 Uruguay Team
Gold 1983 South America Team
Gold 1987 Argentina Team
Gold 1995 Uruguay Team
Gold 2011 Argentina Team
Silver 1919 Brazil Team
Silver 1927 Peru Team
Silver 1939 Peru Team
Silver 1941 Chile Team
Silver 1989 Brazil Team
Silver 1999 Paraguay Team
Bronze 1921 Argentina Team
Bronze 1922 Brazil Team
Bronze 1929 Argentina Team
Bronze 1937 Argentina Team
Bronze 1947 Colombia Team
Bronze 1953 Peru Team
Bronze 1957 Peru Team
Bronze 2004 Peru Team
Olympic Games
Gold 1924 Paris Team
Gold 1928 Amsterdam Team

The Uruguay national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Uruguay) represents Uruguay in international men's football, and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The national team is commonly referred to as La Celeste (The Sky Blue).

Regarded amongst the greatest footballing nations of all time, Uruguay has won the Copa América 15 times being tied with Argentina for the most titles in the history of the tournament. Uruguay won their most recent title in 2011. Additionally, Uruguay are holders of four FIFA recognized World Championships. The team has won the FIFA World Cup twice, including when they hosted the first World Cup in 1930, defeating Argentina in the final 4–2. Their second title came in 1950, upsetting host Brazil in the final match 2–1, which had the highest official attendance for a football match ever (173,850 people). Uruguay has also won gold medals at the Olympic football tournament twice, in 1924 and 1928.

History

The golden era

Uruguay 1902
Uruguay before its first official match v Argentina, 20 July 1902
Uruguay 1928 olympics
The team that won its second gold medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics

Although the first match ever recorded by an Uruguayan side was played on 16 May 1901 against Argentina, this is not considered an official game due to the match not having been organized by Uruguay's Football Association but rather by Albion F.C. in its home field in Paso del Molino. The Uruguayan side had nine players from that club and the remainder from Nacional. The match considered the first official game played by Uruguay was held in the same venue, on 20 July 1902 against Argentina. Argentina defeated the Uruguayan side by 6–0 in front of 8,000 spectators. Uruguay line-up was: Enrique Sardeson; Carlos Carve Urioste, Germán Arímalo; Miguel Nebel (c), Alberto Peixoto, Luis Carbone; Bolívar Céspedes, Gonzalo Rincón, Juan Sardeson, Ernesto Boutón Reyes, Carlos Céspedes. Prior to 1916, Uruguay played more than 30 matches, of which all but one were against Argentina. The inaugural Copa America provided Uruguay with more varied opposition. Victories over Chile and Brazil, along with a tie against Argentina, enabled Uruguay to win the tournament. The following year Uruguay hosted the competition, and retained the title by winning every game. The 1919 Copa América saw Uruguay's first defeat in the tournament, a 1–0 defeat in a playoff with Brazil which went to two periods of extra time, the longest Copa América match in history.

In 1924, the Uruguay team traveled to Paris to become the first South American team to compete in the Olympic Games. In contrast to the physical style of the European teams of the era, Uruguay played a style based around short passes, and won every game, defeating Switzerland 3–0 in the gold medal match. In the 1928 Summer Olympics, Uruguay went to Amsterdam to defend their title, again winning the gold medal after defeating Argentina 2–1 in the replay of the final (the first match was a draw after extra time).

Uruguay national football team 1930
The team that beat Argentina in the final match of the 1930 FIFA World Cup to win Uruguay's first FIFA World Cup

Following the double Olympic triumph, Uruguay was chosen as the host nation for the first World Cup, held in 1930, the centenary of Uruguay's first constitution. During the World Cup, Uruguay won all its matches, and converted a 1–2 halftime deficit to a 4–2 victory against Argentina at the Estadio Centenario. Due to the refusal of some European teams to participate in the first World Cup, the Uruguayan Football Association urged other countries to reciprocate by boycotting the 1934 World Cup played in Italy. For the 1938 World Cup, France was chosen as host, contrary to a previous agreement to alternate the championships between South America and Europe, so Uruguay again refused to participate.

1950–2009

Urug1950
The team that beat Brazil in the decisive match of the 1950 FIFA World Cup to win Uruguay's second FIFA World Cup

Uruguay again won the World Cup in 1950, beating hosts Brazil in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. The decisive match was at the Maracanã Stadium in Brazil. Uruguay came from behind to beat the host nation in a match which would become known as the Maracanazo. Many Brazilians had to be treated for shock after the event, such was the surprise of Uruguay's victory.

RodolfoRodríguez-Mundialito1980
Rodolfo Rodríguez raises the Mundialito trophy won in January 1981.

After their fourth-place finish in the 1954 World Cup, the team had mixed performances and after the fourth-place finish in 1970, their dominance, quality and performance dropped. They were no longer a world football power and failed to qualify for the World Cup on five occasions in the last nine competitions. They reached an all-time low and at one time ranked 76th in the FIFA World Rankings.

2010–present

In 2010, however, a new generation of footballers, led by Luis Suárez, Diego Forlán and Edinson Cavani, formed a team considered to be Uruguay's best in the last four decades, catching international attention after finishing fourth in the 2010 World Cup. Uruguay opened the tournament with a goalless draw against France, followed by defeats of South Africa (3–0) in and Mexico (1–0) respectively, finishing at the top of their group with seven points. In the second round, they played South Korea, defeating them 2–1 with star striker Luis Suárez scoring a brace and earning Uruguay a spot in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1970. Against Ghana, the match finished 1–1, forcing the game into extra-time. Both sides had their chances at extra time but Suárez blocked the ball with his hand in the penalty area, earning Suárez a red card and earning Uruguay universal scorn. Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan missed the subsequent penalty, forcing the game to go into penalties where Uruguay would win 4–2, sending them into the last four. They played the Netherlands in the semi-finals but were beaten 3–2. For the third-place match, they played Germany, again losing 3–2. This placed Uruguay in fourth place for the tournament, their best result in 40 years. Diego Forlan was awarded the Player of The Tournament.

2018 FIFA World Cup Group A march URU-KSA - Anthems
Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia match at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia

A year later, they won the Copa America for the first time in 16 years and broke the record for the most successful team in South America. Luis Suárez ended up as the Player of The Tournament. In the 2014 World Cup Uruguay was placed in Group D alongside Costa Rica, England, and Italy. They were upset by Costa Rica in the opening match, losing 3–1 despite taking the lead in the first half. They rebounded with a 2–1 victory over England, in which Suárez scored a brace right after coming back from an injury, and a 1–0 victory over Italy, placing them second in their group and earning a spot in the last 16. During the match against Italy, forward Luis Suárez bit Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on his left shoulder. Two days after the match, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee banned Suárez for nine international matches, the longest such ban in World Cup history, exceeding the eight-match ban handed to Italy's Mauro Tassotti for breaking the nose of Spain's Luis Enrique in 1994. Suárez was also banned from taking part in any football-related activity (including entering any stadium) for four months and fined CHF100,000 (approx. £65,700/€82,000/US$119,000). In the round of 16, Uruguay played Colombia but were beaten 2–0, eliminating them from the tournament.

At the 2015 and 2016 Copa América, Uruguay, missing banned striker Luis Suárez, were eliminated in the quarter-finals and group stages respectively. After a successful World Cup qualifying campaign, finishing second, Uruguay made it to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Uruguay won its group after three victories, and advanced to the quarter-finals after a 2–1 win over Portugal. However, they were eliminated 2–0 in the quarter-finals by the eventual champions France.

At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Uruguay was drawn into Group H with Portugal, Ghana and South Korea. They started the tournament with a 0–0 draw against South Korea, before they fell to a 2–0 defeat to Portugal. Although despite a 0–2 victory against Ghana in their final group game, Uruguay was knocked out of the tournament in the group stages for the first time since 2002, on goals scored following South Korea’s shock 2–1 win against Portugal.

In 2023 Uruguay had arguably one of the best years in football ever. More info here

Team image

Kits and crest

Go Uruguay! - Arriba Uruguay! - 140619-6398-jikatu (14307280607)
Uruguay at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, wearing the light blue shirt they have worn since 1910

Between 1901 and 1910, Uruguay wore a variety of different shirts during its matches. The first shirt worn was the Albion F.C. one, in the unofficial debut of the national team v Argentina in 1901. It was followed by a variety of shirts, including a solid green one and even a shirt with the colours of the flag of Artigas.

On 10 April 1910, now-defunct club River Plate defeated Argentine side Alumni 2–1, being the first time an Uruguayan team beat that legendary team. That day River Plate wore its alternate jersey, a light blue one due to the home jersey was similar to Alumni's. Ricardo LeBas proposed Uruguay to wear a light blue jersey as a tribute to the victory of River Plate over Alumni. This was approved by president of the Uruguayan Association, Héctor Gómez. The light blue (Celeste) jersey debuted in a Copa Lipton match v Argentina on 15 August 1910. Uruguay won 3–1.

The red shirt that was used in some previous away strips was first used at the 1935 Copa América, held in Santa Beatriz in Peru, which Uruguay won. It was not worn again (except for a 1962 FIFA World Cup match, against Colombia) until 1991, when it was officially adopted as the away jersey.

Uruguay displays four stars in its emblem. This is unique in world football as two of the stars represent the gold medals received at the 1924 and 1928 Summer Olympics, which are the only editions recognised by FIFA as senior World Championships. In 2021, after a FIFA employee contacted PUMA about modifying the team's crest, FIFA reconfirmed and approved once again the use of all four stars on the shirt.
1901
1902–03
1905–07
1908–10
1910–present

Kit sponsorship

Kit supplier Period
Germany Adidas 1974–1982
France Le Coq Sportif 1983–1986
Germany Puma 1987–1991
Italy Ennerre 1992–1998
Uruguay Covadonga 1999–2001
Italy L-Sporto 2002–2004
Germany Uhlsport 2004–2006
Germany Puma 2006–2023
Uruguay In-House 2024
United States Nike 2024–
Uruguay - Costa Rica FIFA World Cup 2013 (2014-06-14; fans) 06
Uruguay fans at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Home stadium

Since 1930, Uruguay have played their home games at the Estadio Centenario in the Uruguayan capital Montevideo. The stadium was built as a celebration of the centenary of Uruguay's first constitution, and had a capacity of 90,000 when first fully opened. The stadium hosted several matches in the 1930 World Cup, including the final, which was watched by a crowd of 93,000.

Rivalries

Argentina

Main article: Argentina–Uruguay football rivalry

Uruguay has a long-standing rivalry with Argentina, that came into existence when they beat their South American neighbors 4–2 in the first World Cup final, held in Montevideo in 1930.

Brazil

Main article: Brazil–Uruguay football rivalry

Uruguay has an old rivalry with their South American neighbors. Their best known match was played at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil where Uruguay won 2–1 in front of almost 200,000 spectators at the Maracanã Stadium, thus winning the competition and earning their second World Cup title.

Australia

Main article: Australia–Uruguay football rivalry

Uruguay has an almost 50-year rivalry with AFC (and former OFC) member Australia. The rivalry, which dates back to 1974, has seen the two teams face each other in qualification play-offs, with each team winning one playoff each to progress to the FIFA World Cup.

Results and fixtures

Main article: Uruguay national football team results (2020–present)

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2023

2024

Coaching staff

Current personnel

Position Name
Head coach Argentina Marcelo Bielsa
Assistant coaches Argentina Lucas Ouviña
Argentina Pablo Quiroga
Chile Diego Reyes
Goalkeeping coach Uruguay Carlos Nicola
Fitness coach Uruguay Marco Mansulino
Analyst Spain Diego Bermúdez
Logistics Spain Sara Bouzas
Argentina Magalí Conde

Coaching history

  • Uruguay Juan López (1946–1955, 1957–1959)
  • Uruguay Juan Carlos Corazzo (1955, 1959–1961, 1962–1964)
  • Uruguay Hugo Bagnulo (1955–1957)
  • Uruguay Héctor Castro (1959)
  • Uruguay Enrique Fernández (1961–1962, 1967–1969)
  • Uruguay Rafael Milans (1964–1965)
  • Uruguay Ondino Viera (1965–1967)
  • Uruguay Juan Hohberg (1969–1970, 1977)
  • Uruguay Hugo Bagnulo (1970–1973)
  • Uruguay Roberto Porta (1974)
  • Uruguay Juan Alberto Schiaffino (1974–1975)
  • Uruguay José María Rodríguez (1975–1977)
  • Uruguay Raúl Bentancor (1977–1979)
  • Uruguay Roque Máspoli (1979–1982, 1997–1998)
  • Uruguay Omar Borrás (1982–1987)
  • Uruguay Roberto Fleitas (1987–1988)
  • Uruguay Óscar Tabárez (1988–1990, 2006–2021)
  • Uruguay Luis Cubilla (1990–1993)
  • Uruguay Ildo Maneiro (1993–1994)
  • Uruguay Héctor Núñez (1994–1996)
  • Uruguay Juan Ahuntchaín (1996–1997)
  • Uruguay Víctor Púa (1998–2000, 2001–2003)
  • Argentina Daniel Passarella (2000–2001)
  • Uruguay Gustavo Ferrín (2003, 2006)
  • Uruguay Juan Ramón Carrasco (2003–2004)
  • Uruguay Jorge Fossati (2004–2006)
  • Uruguay Gustavo Ferrín (2006)
  • Uruguay Diego Alonso (2021–2023)
  • Uruguay Marcelo Broli (2023)
  • Argentina Marcelo Bielsa (2023–present)

Players

Current squad

The following 21 players are called up to the squad for friendlies against Basque Country and Ivory Coast on 23 and 26 March 2024 respectively. Six players from the initial squad were released after the match against Basque Country.

Caps and goals correct as of 26 March 2024, after the match against Ivory Coast.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Randall Rodríguez (2003-11-29) 29 November 2003 (age 20) 0 0 Uruguay Peñarol
12 1GK Franco Israel (2000-04-22) 22 April 2000 (age 24) 2 0 Portugal Sporting CP
23 1GK Santiago Mele (1997-09-06) 6 September 1997 (age 27) 4 0 Colombia Atlético Junior
2 2DF Nicolás Marichal (2001-03-17) 17 March 2001 (age 23) 1 0 Russia Dynamo Moscow
3 2DF Sebastián Cáceres (1999-08-18) 18 August 1999 (age 25) 11 0 Mexico América
16 2DF Mathías Olivera (1997-10-31) 31 October 1997 (age 27) 17 1 Italy Napoli
17 2DF Matías Viña (1997-11-09) 9 November 1997 (age 27) 36 0 Brazil Flamengo
22 2DF Lucas Olaza (1994-07-21) 21 July 1994 (age 30) 2 0 Russia Krasnodar
5 3MF Nicolás Fonseca (1998-10-19) 19 October 1998 (age 26) 1 0 Argentina River Plate
6 3MF Rodrigo Bentancur (1997-06-25) 25 June 1997 (age 27) 58 1 England Tottenham Hotspur
7 3MF Nicolás de la Cruz (1997-06-01) 1 June 1997 (age 27) 26 5 Brazil Flamengo
8 3MF Nahitan Nández (1995-12-28) 28 December 1995 (age 28) 55 0 Italy Cagliari
10 3MF Giorgian de Arrascaeta (1994-06-01) 1 June 1994 (age 30) 46 10 Brazil Flamengo
15 3MF Federico Valverde (vice-captain) (1998-07-22) 22 July 1998 (age 26) 56 6 Spain Real Madrid
20 3MF Manuel Ugarte (2001-04-11) 11 April 2001 (age 23) 15 0 France Paris Saint-Germain
9 4FW Federico Viñas (1998-06-30) 30 June 1998 (age 26) 2 1 Mexico León
11 4FW Facundo Pellistri (2001-12-20) 20 December 2001 (age 22) 19 0 Spain Granada
14 4FW Agustín Canobbio (1998-10-01) 1 October 1998 (age 26) 12 1 Brazil Athletico Paranaense
18 4FW Brian Rodríguez (2000-05-20) 20 May 2000 (age 24) 22 4 Mexico América
19 4FW Luciano Rodríguez (2003-07-16) 16 July 2003 (age 21) 2 0 Uruguay Liverpool Montevideo
21 4FW Ignacio Laquintana (1999-02-01) 1 February 1999 (age 25) 0 0 Brazil Red Bull Bragantino

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the Uruguay squad in the past twelve months.


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Sergio Rochet (1993-03-23) 23 March 1993 (age 31) 18 0 Brazil Internacional v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
DF Ronald Araújo (1999-03-07) 7 March 1999 (age 25) 16 1 Spain Barcelona v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
DF Guillermo Varela (1993-03-24) 24 March 1993 (age 31) 15 0 Brazil Flamengo v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
DF Bruno Méndez (1999-09-10) 10 September 1999 (age 25) 7 0 Spain Granada v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
DF José María Giménez (captain) (1995-01-20) 20 January 1995 (age 29) 83 8 Spain Atlético Madrid v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
DF Joaquín Piquerez (1998-08-24) 24 August 1998 (age 26) 13 0 Brazil Palmeiras v.  Brazil, 17 October 2023
DF Santiago Bueno (1998-11-09) 9 November 1998 (age 26) 2 0 England Wolverhampton Wanderers v.  Brazil, 17 October 2023
DF José Luis Rodríguez (1997-03-14) 14 March 1997 (age 27) 2 0 Brazil Vasco da Gama v.  Ecuador, 12 September 2023
DF Mauricio Lemos (1995-12-28) 28 December 1995 (age 28) 3 0 Brazil Atlético Mineiro v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
DF Sebastián Boselli (2003-12-04) 4 December 2003 (age 20) 0 0 Argentina River Plate v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
DF Facundo González (2003-07-06) 6 July 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Italy Sampdoria v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
DF Santiago Mouriño (2002-09-13) 13 September 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Spain Zaragoza v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
DF Mateo Ponte (2003-05-24) 24 May 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Brazil Botafogo v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
MF Matías Vecino (1991-08-24) 24 August 1991 (age 33) 70 6 Italy Lazio v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
MF Rodrigo Zalazar (1999-08-12) 12 August 1999 (age 25) 2 2 Portugal Braga v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
MF Maximiliano Araújo (2000-02-15) 15 February 2000 (age 24) 7 1 Mexico Toluca v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
MF Felipe Carballo (1996-10-04) 4 October 1996 (age 28) 7 0 Brazil Grêmio v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
MF Emiliano Martínez (1999-08-17) 17 August 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Denmark Midtjylland v.  Ecuador, 12 September 2023
MF Fabricio Díaz (2003-02-03) 3 February 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Qatar Al-Gharafa v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
FW Facundo Torres (2000-04-13) 13 April 2000 (age 24) 16 1 United States Orlando City v.  Basque Country, 23 March 2024
FW Luis Suárez (1987-01-24) 24 January 1987 (age 37) 138 68 United States Inter Miami v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
FW Darwin Núñez (1999-06-24) 24 June 1999 (age 25) 22 8 England Liverpool v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
FW Cristian Olivera (2002-04-17) 17 April 2002 (age 22) 3 0 United States Los Angeles v.  Bolivia, 21 November 2023
FW Maxi Gómez (1996-08-14) 14 August 1996 (age 28) 32 4 Spain Cádiz v.  Ecuador, 12 September 2023
FW Diego Rossi (1998-03-05) 5 March 1998 (age 26) 7 1 United States Columbus Crew v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
FW Matías Arezo (2002-11-21) 21 November 2002 (age 22) 3 1 Spain Granada v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
FW Thiago Borbas (2002-04-07) 7 April 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Brazil Red Bull Bragantino v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023
FW Anderson Duarte (2004-03-23) 23 March 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Uruguay Defensor Sporting v.  Cuba, 20 June 2023

PRE Preliminary squad
INJ Injured

Player records

Main article: List of Uruguay international footballers

, after the match against Bolivia.

Players in bold are still active with Uruguay.

Most appearances

Diego Godín 2018 (cropped)
Diego Godín is Uruguay's most capped player with 161 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Diego Godín 161 8 2005–2022
2 Luis Suárez 138 68 2007–present
3 Edinson Cavani 136 58 2008–present
4 Fernando Muslera 133 0 2009–present
5 Maxi Pereira 125 3 2005–2018
6 Martín Cáceres 116 4 2007–present
7 Diego Forlán 112 36 2002–2014
8 Cristian Rodríguez 110 11 2003–2018
9 Diego Lugano 95 9 2003–2014
10 Egidio Arévalo 90 0 2006–2017

Top goalscorers

Luis Suárez 2018
Luis Suárez is Uruguay's top scorer with 68 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Luis Suárez (list) 68 138 0.49 2007–present
2 Edinson Cavani 58 136 0.43 2008–present
3 Diego Forlán 36 112 0.32 2002–2014
4 Héctor Scarone 31 51 0.61 1917–1930
5 Ángel Romano 28 69 0.41 1913–1927
6 Óscar Míguez 27 39 0.69 1950–1958
7 Sebastián Abreu 26 70 0.37 1996–2012
8 Pedro Petrone 24 28 0.86 1923–1930
9 Fernando Morena 22 53 0.42 1971–1983
Carlos Aguilera 22 64 0.34 1982–1997

Competitive record

Main article: Uruguay national football team records and statistics

FIFA World Cup

Main article: Uruguay at the FIFA World Cup

     Champions       Runners-up       Third place        Fourth place      Tournament played fully or partially on home soil  

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pos Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 15 3 Squad Qualified as hosts
Italy 1934 Refused to participate Qualified as defending champions
France 1938 Refused to participate
Brazil 1950 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 15 5 Squad Qualified automatically
Switzerland 1954 Fourth place 4th 5 3 0 2 16 9 Squad Qualified as defending champions
Sweden 1958 Did not qualify 2nd 4 2 1 1 4 6
Chile 1962 Group stage 13th 3 1 0 2 4 6 Squad 1st 2 1 1 0 3 2
England 1966 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 2 1 2 5 Squad 1st 4 4 0 0 11 2
Mexico 1970 Fourth place 4th 6 2 1 3 4 5 Squad 1st 4 3 1 0 5 0
West Germany 1974 Group stage 13th 3 0 1 2 1 6 Squad 1st 4 2 1 1 6 2
Argentina 1978 Did not qualify 2nd 4 1 2 1 5 4
Spain 1982 2nd 4 1 2 1 5 5
Mexico 1986 Round of 16 16th 4 0 2 2 2 8 Squad 1st 4 3 0 1 6 4
Italy 1990 16th 4 1 1 2 2 5 Squad 1st 4 3 0 1 7 2
United States 1994 Did not qualify 3rd 8 4 2 2 10 7
France 1998 7th 16 6 3 7 18 21
South Korea Japan 2002 Group stage 26th 3 0 2 1 4 5 Squad 5th 20 8 6 6 22 14
Germany 2006 Did not qualify 5th 20 7 7 6 24 29
South Africa 2010 Fourth place 4th 7 3 2 2 11 8 Squad 5th 20 7 7 6 30 21
Brazil 2014 Round of 16 12th 4 2 0 2 4 6 Squad 5th 18 8 5 5 30 25
Russia 2018 Quarter-finals 5th 5 4 0 1 7 3 Squad 2nd 18 9 4 5 32 20
Qatar 2022 Group stage 20th 3 1 1 1 2 2 Squad 3rd 18 8 4 6 22 22
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Qualification in progress TBD 6 4 1 1 13 5
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 Qualified as commemorative match hosts Qualified as commemorative match hosts
Saudi Arabia 2034 To be determined To be determined
Total 2 Titles 14/22 59 25 13 21 89 76 — — 178 81 47 50 253 191
*Draws include knockout matches decided via penalty shoot-out.

Copa América

Main article: Uruguay at the Copa América
South American Championship / Copa América record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Argentina 1916 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 6 1 Squad
Uruguay 1917 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 9 0 Squad
Brazil 1919 Runners-up 2nd 4 2 1 1 7 5 Squad
Chile 1920 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 9 2 Squad
Argentina 1921 Third place 3rd 3 1 0 2 3 4 Squad
Brazil 1922 Third place 3rd 4 2 1 1 3 1 Squad
Uruguay 1923 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 6 1 Squad
Uruguay 1924 Champions 1st 3 2 1 0 8 1 Squad
Argentina 1925 Withdrew
Chile 1926 Champions 1st 4 4 0 0 17 2 Squad
Peru 1927 Runners-up 2nd 3 2 0 1 15 3 Squad
Argentina 1929 Third place 3rd 3 1 0 2 4 6 Squad
Peru 1935 Champions 1st 3 3 0 0 6 1 Squad
Argentina 1937 Third place 3rd 5 2 0 3 11 14 Squad
Peru 1939 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 13 5 Squad
Chile 1941 Runners-up 2nd 4 3 0 1 10 1 Squad
Uruguay 1942 Champions 1st 6 6 0 0 21 2 Squad
Chile 1945 Fourth place 4th 6 3 0 3 14 6 Squad
Argentina 1946 Fourth place 4th 5 2 0 3 11 9 Squad
Ecuador 1947 Third place 3rd 7 5 0 2 21 8 Squad
Brazil 1949 Sixth place 6th 7 2 1 4 14 20 Squad
Peru 1953 Third place 3rd 6 3 1 2 15 6 Squad
Chile 1955 Fourth place 4th 5 2 1 2 12 12 Squad
Uruguay 1956 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 9 3 Squad
Peru 1957 Third place 3rd 6 4 0 2 15 12 Squad
Argentina 1959 Sixth place 6th 6 2 0 4 15 14 Squad
Ecuador 1959 Champions 1st 4 3 1 0 13 1 Squad
Bolivia 1963 Withdrew
Uruguay 1967 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 13 2 Squad
1975 Fourth place 4th 2 1 0 1 1 3 Squad
1979 Group stage 6th 4 1 2 1 5 5 Squad
1983 Champions 1st 8 5 2 1 12 6 Squad
Argentina 1987 Champions 1st 2 2 0 0 2 0 Squad
Brazil 1989 Runners-up 2nd 7 4 0 3 11 3 Squad
Chile 1991 Group stage 5th 4 1 3 0 4 3 Squad
Ecuador 1993 Quarter-finals 6th 4 1 2 1 5 5 Squad
Uruguay 1995 Champions 1st 6 4 2 0 11 4 Squad
Bolivia 1997 Group stage 9th 3 1 0 2 2 2 Squad
Paraguay 1999 Runners-up 2nd 6 1 2 3 4 9 Squad
Colombia 2001 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 7 7 Squad
Peru 2004 Third place 3rd 6 3 2 1 12 10 Squad
Venezuela 2007 Fourth place 4th 6 2 2 2 8 9 Squad
Argentina 2011 Champions 1st 6 3 3 0 9 3 Squad
Chile 2015 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 1 2 2 3 Squad
United States 2016 Group stage 11th 3 1 0 2 4 4 Squad
Brazil 2019 Quarter-finals 6th 4 2 2 0 7 2 Squad
Brazil 2021 5th 5 2 2 1 4 2 Squad
United States 2024 Qualified
Total 15 Titles 45/47 206 112 38 56 410 222 —

FIFA Confederations Cup

FIFA Confederations Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
Saudi Arabia 1992 Did not qualify
Saudi Arabia 1995
Saudi Arabia 1997 Fourth place 4th 5 3 0 2 8 6 Squad
Mexico 1999 Did not qualify
South Korea Japan 2001
France 2003
Germany 2005
South Africa 2009
Brazil 2013 Fourth place 4th 5 2 1 2 14 7 Squad
Russia 2017 Did not qualify
Total Fourth place 2/10 10 5 1 4 22 13 —

CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions

CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
France 1985 Runners-up 2nd 1 0 0 1 0 2
Argentina 1993 Did not qualify
England 2022
Total Runners-up 1/3 1 0 0 1 0 2

Olympic Games

Olympic Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad
France 1900 Did not participate
United States 1904
United Kingdom 1908
Sweden 1912
Belgium 1920
France 1924 Gold medal 1st 5 5 0 0 20 2 Squad
Netherlands 1928 Gold medal 1st 5 4 1 0 12 5 Squad
Nazi Germany 1936 Withdrew
United Kingdom 1948 Did not qualify
Finland 1952
Australia 1956
Italy 1960
Japan 1964
Mexico 1968
West Germany 1972
Canada 1976 Withdrew
Soviet Union 1980 Did not qualify
United States 1984
South Korea 1988
Since 1992 See Uruguay national under-23 football team
Total 2 Gold medals 3/19 10 9 1 0 32 7 —

Pan American Games

Pan American Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA
Argentina 1951 Did not participate
Mexico 1955
United States 1959
Brazil 1963 Fourth place 4th 4 1 0 3 4 6
Canada 1967 Did not participate
Colombia 1971
Mexico 1975 Preliminary round 11th 2 0 1 1 1 2
Puerto Rico 1979 Did not enter
Venezuela 1983 Gold medal 1st 4 4 0 0 5 1
United States 1987 Did not participate
Cuba 1991
Argentina 1995
Since 1999 See Uruguay national under-23 football team
Total 1 Gold medal 3/12 10 5 1 4 10 9

Head-to-head record

Below is a list of all matches Uruguay have played against FIFA recognised teams. Updated as of 26 March 2024.

      Positive Record       Neutral Record       Negative Record

Honours

Senior team

Major titles

Awards

South American Tournaments

  • Copa Lipton (vs  Argentina)
    • Winners (12): 1905, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1919, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1929, 1957, 1973
  • Copa Newton (vs  Argentina)
    • Winners (11): 1912, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1922, 1923, 1929, 1930, 1968
  • Copa Premier Honor Argentino (vs  Argentina)
    • Winners (3): 1908, 1910, 1912
  • Copa Premier Honor Uruguayo (vs  Argentina)
    • Winners (8): 1911, 1912, 1913, 1914, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1922
  • Copa Héctor Rivadavia Gómez (vs  Argentina)
    • Winners (2): 1936, 1940
  • Copa Círculo de la Prensa (vs  Argentina)
    • Winners: 1919
  • Copa Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores (vs  Argentina)
    • Winners: 1923
  • Copa Confraternidad Rioplatense (vs  Argentina)
    • Winners: 1924
  • Copa Río Branco (vs  Brazil)
    • Winners (3): 1940, 1946, 1967 (shared)
  • Copa Artigas (vs  Paraguay)
    • Winners (6): 1965, 1966, 1975 (shared), 1977, 1983, 1985
  • Copa Juan Pinto Durán (vs  Chile)
    • Winners (5): 1963, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1988
  • Copa Parra del Riego (vs  Peru)
    • Winners: 1994
  • Copa Ministerio de Vivienda (vs  Peru)
    • Winners: 1998

Friendlies

  • Mundialito
    • Winners (1): 1980
  • Nehru Cup
    • Winners: 1982
  • Copa William Poole (vs  England)
    • Winners: 1984
  • Miami Cup
    • Winners: 1986
  • Marlboro Cup
    • Winners: 1990
  • Tiger Beer Challenge Trophy (vs  Singapore)
    • Winners: 2002
  • Lunar New Year Cup
    • Winners: 2003
  • LG Cup:
    • Winners (2): 2003, 2006
  • Copa Confraternidad Antel (vs  Netherlands)
    • Winners: 2011
  • Copa 100 Años del Banco de Seguros del Estado (vs  Estonia)
    • Winners: 2011
  • Kirin Challenge Cup (vs  Japan)
    • Winners: 2014
  • China Cup
    • Winners (2): 2018, 2019

Pan American team

  • Pan American Games
    • 1 Gold medal (1): 1983
    • Fourth place: 1963
Senior Competition 1 2 3 Total
World Cup 2 0 0 2
Olympic Games 2 0 0 2
Copa América 15 6 9 30
Panamerican Championship 0 0 1 1
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions 0 1 0 1
Total 19 7 10 36

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Uruguay para niños

  • Uruguay national under-23 football team
  • Uruguay national under-20 football team
  • Uruguay national under-17 football team
  • Uruguay national futsal team
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