Uruguay

Historically, football has been a fundamental element in the consolidation of Uruguayan nationality and in projecting Uruguay’s image internationally at the beginning of the 20th century .

Uruguay is one of the most successful teams in the world, having won nineteen official competitions recognized by FIFA, a world record at senior national team level. These include two editions of the FIFA World Cup, two editions of the Olympic Games when they were contested by senior national teams and organized by FIFA (at that time, the only global-level football competition), and fifteen editions of the Copa América.

Uruguay was the first national team, along with Argentina, to play an international match outside the British Isles, on 16 May 1901 in Montevideo, with Argentina winning 3–2. However, because the sides were combined teams rather than national selections, the match is considered unofficial. In that game, Frank Chevallier Boutell, president of the Argentine Association Football League, served as a linesman.

A precedent suggests there was an even earlier match, though not between the two countries’ national teams, but between representative teams of their capitals, Buenos Aires and Montevideo, on 15 August 1889. Two representative sides from the two capitals faced each other in commemoration of the seventieth anniversary of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Supposedly, the match took place at the so-called New Ground in La Blanqueada and ended with a 3-0 victory for the Buenos Aires team over the Montevideo team .

The first official match between the national teams of Uruguay and Argentina was played on 20 July 1902 at the Albion ground, with Argentina winning 6–0 (to this day the heaviest away win in the derby) . Of Uruguay’s starting eleven, 8 were from Club Nacional de Football . Uruguay’s lineup was: Enrique Sardeson (Albion), Carlos Carve Urioste (Nacional), Germán Arímalo (Nacional), Miguel Nebel (capt.) (Nacional), Alberto Peixoto (Albion), Luis Carbone (Nacional), Bolívar Céspedes (Nacional), Gonzalo Rincón (Nacional), Juan Sardeson (Albion), Ernesto Boutón Reyes (Nacional), and Carlos Céspedes (Nacional). Goalscorers were Bolívar Céspedes and William Poole.

On 13 September 1903, Uruguay won its first match, defeating Argentina in Buenos Aires 3-2 with a team made up entirely of Nacional players .

Their nickname, La Celeste (“the Sky Blue”), dates back to its first international victory in Montevideo on 15 August 1910, when it beat Argentina 3-1 in the first match in which it wore its sky-blue jersey. This kit was adopted as a national emblem in recognition of the triumph shortly before by River Plate Football Club over the powerful Alumni Athletic Club of Buenos Aires, 2-1, using those same colors .

Uruguay won the first two editions of the South American Championship: the first held in Buenos Aires in 1916 and the second in 1917, in Montevideo.

The Uruguayan national team became the first continental champion, finishing ahead of Argentina in the 1916 Copa América, played in Buenos Aires. The tournament had a round-robin format: a 0–0 draw against Argentina on the final match-day gave the title to La Celeste.

Uruguay also won the following 1917 Copa América, this time as hosts. Once again, the title was decided in the last round against Argentina, and Uruguay prevailed 1-0 to become champions of South America for the second consecutive time.

In the 1919 Copa América held in Brazil, Uruguay again reached the decisive match. After drawing 2-2 against the hosts, both teams finished level on points, forcing a playoff. The playoff was won 1-0 by Brazil, who claimed their first continental title, with Uruguay finishing as runner-up.

In the 1920 Copa América held in Chile, Uruguay once again arrived at the final match on top of the standings, and defeated the hosts 2-1 to claim their third championship. Argentina’s win over Brazil on the same day proved insufficient, leaving the Argentines in second place.

In the tournaments of 1921 (Argentina) and 1922 (Brazil), Uruguay could not secure the title, finishing third in both editions: first behind champions Argentina and then behind hosts Brazil.

The Copa América returned to Uruguay in 1923 and 1924. In the 1923 edition, Uruguay and Argentina were level at the top entering the final round. Uruguay defeated their rivals 2–0 at the Gran Parque Central to take the title. In 1924, a 0-0 draw with Argentina on the last match-day was enough for Uruguay to be crowned champions once again, thanks to having more wins in the tournament.

Uruguay was the first South American country to participate in the Olympic football tournaments. Their debut was at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, where they defeated Switzerland 3-0 in the final to claim FIFA's first recognized non-amateur world championship. Uruguay returned in 1928, this time alongside Argentina (winners of the 1927 Copa América). Both reached the final, with Uruguay prevailing 2-1 in a replay after drawing the initial match 1-1. The expectation for this final was so high that reportedly over 500,000 tickets were demanded across Europe.

The Uruguayan national team dazzled Europe with its Olympic performances, earning admiration and respect worldwide. These triumphs elevated South American football to global prominence at a time when the continent was still largely ignored in international sport. The Olympic tournaments of 1924 and 1928 were the only editions officially recognized by FIFA as world championships. This is why Uruguay is allowed to display four stars on its football crest, despite having won the FIFA World Cup twice (in 1930 and 1950).

In terms of continental success during this period, Uruguay won the 1926 Copa América in Chile. They did not participate in the 1925 Copa América in Argentina (won by the hosts), finished as runners-up behind Argentina in 1927, and placed third in 1929.

Uruguay proposed hosting the first FIFA World Cup in 1930, and FIFA granted the country the right to organize it in commemoration of the centenary of the Jura de la Constitución (Uruguayan Constitution), in addition to its world titles at the Olympics. In Europe, this decision was met with disapproval, with arguments that the tournament should be held there, particularly in England, the birthplace of football and its subsequent development. There were also complaints about the long journey and high costs involved in traveling to South America.

However, despite the Uruguayan government offering to cover all expenses, many European nations still declined to participate. FIFA ignored these complaints, reasoning that the continent was still reeling from World War I, while Uruguay enjoyed peace and economic stability. Thus, the first World Cup was held in Uruguay.

The opening matches of the tournament were France vs. Mexico and United States vs. Belgium, both played on July 13 at 15:00. In the France–Mexico game, Lucien Laurent scored after 19 minutes, recording the first goal in World Cup history.

Uruguay, considered the strongest team due to its Olympic titles in 1924 and 1928, made its debut on July 18 at the new Estadio Centenario before about 50,000 spectators against Peru. In a lackluster performance, Uruguay won 1-0 with a goal from Héctor Castro, drawing some criticism from the press.

In its next match on July 21, Uruguay defeated Romania 4-0, with goals from Pablo Dorado, Héctor Scarone, Pedro Cea, and Santos Iriarte, advancing to the semifinals.

There, the Celeste faced Yugoslavia (a nation that no longer exists) and won convincingly 6-1, with a hat-trick from Cea, a brace from Santos Anselmo, and one from Iriarte, securing their place in the final.

In the decisive match, played on July 30 before 70,000 spectators, Uruguay once again met their great rivals, Argentina, who were also considered favourites. Leading up to the match, tensions were high, with reports that Uruguayans disrupted Argentina’s training sessions throughout the tournament.

In the final itself, Dorado gave Uruguay the lead after 12 minutes, but Argentina responded with goals from Carlos Peucelle (20’) and Guillermo Stábile (37’), taking a 2-1 advantage into halftime. In the second half, Uruguay came out determined: Cea equalized at 57’, Iriarte put them ahead at 68’, and Castro sealed the 4-2 victory at 89’.

With that result, Uruguay became the first ever World Cup champion in history, and claimed their third consecutive title.

In the 1940s, Uruguay achieved early success in a decade largely dominated by Argentina by winning their eighth South American championship in 1942. As the World Cup was not being played, this championship became the priority.

In 1950, Uruguay re-entered the World Cup for the first time since 1930. This time, La Celeste would enter a final-group where they would draw Spain 2–2 and beat Sweden 3–2 en route to the final match against hosts Brazil. On 16 July 1950, Uruguay claimed their second FIFA World Cup and fourth senior world title when they beat Brazil 2–1 from behind in an iconic match known as the Maracanazo in front of a record crowd of 173,850. Historical estimates indicate that the crowd reached well over 200,000. This feat became an integral part of Uruguay's football identity and a source of inspiration for upcoming footballers with each passing generation.

In the 1954 World Cup, Uruguay reached the semi-finals for the fourth time after defeating Czechoslovakia, Scotland and England. The semi-final against Hungary is considered one of the best matches in World Cup history, as La Celeste dramatically equalised 2–2 late after trailing 2–0 at halftime. Uruguay would eventually lose 4–2 in extra-time in what was their first-ever loss at the global stage, a thirty year record that started in January 1925.^[]

Afterwards, Uruguay would fail to qualify to the World Cup for the first time in the 1958 CONMEBOL qualifiers after losing 5–0 to Paraguay in Asuncion. From there, Uruguay maintained a competitive generation through the 1960s and into the early 1970s with players from Nacional and Peñarol, who had won several continental and club world titles during that time. In 1962, Uruguay had a relatively poor World Cup, being eliminated in the group stage after a dramatic last match against the Soviet Union. Four years later, Uruguay reached the last eight after drawing hosts England beating France in the group stage. A controversial quarter-final loss against West Germany marred what had been seen as a positive campaign. La Celeste would end the decade winning their 11th South American championship in 1967 by beating Argentina 1–0 in Montevideo.

In 1970, Uruguay advanced to their fourth World Cup semi-final in Mexico, losing to eventual winners Brazil. They would eventually be eliminated in the group stage at the 1974 World Cup, and failed to qualify for Argentina 1978.

Uruguayan football would then see a resurgence as the U-20 team won four consecutive South American titles from 1975 to 1981, as well as reaching the U-20 World Cup semi-final in 1979. The success of this young generation would bear fruit in the 1980s, which began with Uruguay winning the 1980 World Champions' Gold Cup, a tournament that pitted past World Cup winners together in celebration of the tournament's 50th anniversary. Afterwards, La Celeste went on to win the 1983 and 1987 Copas America back-to-back, before losing 1–0 to hosts Brazil in 1989's decisive title match. After failing to qualify for the 1982 World Cup, in 1986, Uruguay were eliminated in the Round of 16 against eventual champions Argentina after a group stage that included West Germany, Denmark and Scotland.

In the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Uruguay were eliminated in the round of 16 against the hosts 2–0 in Rome. Afterwards, Uruguay would fail to qualify for 1994 after losing 2–0 to eventual winners Brazil at the Maracanã Stadium. La Celeste would then defeated the world champions to win the 1995 Copa América in Montevideo. Later, Uruguay were eliminated from the 1998 World Cup as they finished in seventh place the first time qualifying was a round-robin tournament.

For the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, Uruguay managed to advance to a final playoff round against Australia to reach the finals. La Celeste would win the decisive match 3–0 in Montevideo to qualify to their first World Cup since 1990. The campaign itself proved a frustrating affair, as Uruguay were narrowly eliminated in the last group match against Senegal after drawing them 3–3, after being down 3–0 at half-time.

The 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign saw another international playoff against Australia. This time, La Celeste were eliminated on penalties in Sydney. This loss led to a profound paradigm shift with the hiring of Oscar Tabarez as manager. From there, Uruguay would reach the semi-finals of the 2007 Copa América, and successfully qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

In 2010, a new generation of footballers, led by Luis Suárez, Diego Forlán and Edinson Cavani, formed a team that finished fourth at the World Cup. Uruguay opened the tournament with a goalless draw against France, followed by wins against South Africa (3–0) 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 Suárez scoring a brace, as Uruguay sealed 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 himself a red card. 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. In 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. Forlán was awarded Player of the Tournament.

A year later, they won the Copa América for the first time in 16 years and broke the record for the most successful team in South America. Luis Suárez ended up as Player of the Tournament.

Uruguay was placed in Group D at the 2014 World Cup alongside Costa Rica, England, and Italy. They were upset by Costa Rica in the opening match, losing 3–1 after 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 (approximately £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 stage respectively.

Uruguay then finished second in their qualifying campaign to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. There, they won their 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 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. Despite a 2–0 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.