MONTEVIDEO: Uruguay’s Luis Suarez and Nahitan Nandez were the big names who missed out on selection for the World Cup as coach Marcelo Bielsa named his final 26-man squad on Sunday.

Suarez, 39, had left the door open for an international return, saying he would reverse his retirement if needed in the national side after a 20-month absence.

But there was no place for him. Suarez had criticised Bielsa’s management style, saying it had divided the dressing room, although he later said he had apologised for those remarks.

Nandez, 30, played for Uruguay in several World Cup qualifiers but Bielsa has phased out veterans in favour of a squad with players in their prime.

The team is built around the defensive spine led by Ronald Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez and Mathias Olivera.

The presence of Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur, Manuel Ugarte and Nicolas de la Cruz offers Bielsa the energy and pressing intensity he craves in midfield while the forward line is led by Darwin Nunez.

However, Nunez has not played in the Saudi Pro League for his club Al-Hilal since February after the club was forced to reshuffle its foreign-player registrations when they signed former Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema.

Uruguay are in Group ‘H’ and play their first match against Saudi Arabia on June 15, followed by games against Cape Verde and Spain.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Sergio Rochet, Fernando Muslera, Santiago Mele; Defenders: Guillermo Varela, Ronald Araujo, Jose Maria Gimenez, Santiago Bueno, Sebastian Caceres, Mathias Olivera, Joaquin Piquerez, Matias Vina; Midfielders: Manuel Ugarte, Emiliano Martnez, Rodrigo Bentancur, Federico Valverde, Agustin Canobbio, Juan Manuel Sanabria, Giorgian De Arrascaeta, Nicolas De La Cruz, Rodrigo Zalazar, Facundo Pellistri, Maximiliano Araujo, Brian Rodriguez; Forwards: Rodrigo Aguirre, Federico Vinas, Darwin Nunez.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2026