Coach Marcelo Bielsa did not give a lengthy explanation to the public about the absence of some players in the squad list. Without Suarez, Uruguay will use strikers Darwin Nunez, Rodrigo Aguirre and Federico Vinas in the upcoming tournament.
Luis Suarez retired from the national team in September 2024 as the Uruguay national team's all-time top scorer. He has not played for the national team for about 20 months, but this month, he said he would never refuse if the Uruguay national team needed him.
That makes everyone hope that this striker will be given a chance. In his career, Luis Suarez has worn the Uruguayan national team jersey 143 times, scored 69 goals and participated in 4 World Cups. This season, he is also in quite good form for Inter Miami when scoring 6 goals in 11 appearances.
However, according to experts, coach Marcelo Bielsa is right not to call up Suarez - who is 39 years old this year. This strategist built the Uruguay team based on dynamism, strong pressing style and energetic players.
Nunez was called up to the national team even though he only had a short playing time for the club in Saudi Arabia, where Al-Hilal's foreign player registration restructuring affected his role after Karim Benzema arrived. His selection showed that Bielsa still appreciated Nunez's mobility, speed and physical strength.
The Uruguayan team also has names in the Premier League such as Manuel Ugarte, Rodrigo Bentancur and Santiago Bueno. Meanwhile, Federico Valverde, Ronald Araujo and Jose Maria Gimenez bring the team an experienced core without returning to Suarez.
The Uruguay team will have their opening match in Group H against Saudi Arabia on June 15, then will face Cabo Verde and Spain. The South American team is considered a strong candidate to compete for the top spot in the group with the Spanish team.
Historically, the Uruguayan national team has won the World Cup twice in the 1930s and 1950s. At the 2022 World Cup, the team was eliminated right in the group stage.
