Uruguay returned from an Asian tour with six points from three friendlies, renewed confidence in its forwards and a wider view of the players who may shape the road towards the 2030 World Cup. Diego Forlán, temporarily in charge of the senior side while also preparing to lead the under-20s, oversaw victories in South Korea and India after an injury-time defeat to Japan.
The trip came after a World Cup campaign that left the Celeste among the 16 teams eliminated in the group phase. Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure had ended amid a difficult final stretch: Uruguay won only two of their last 10 matches and scored eight goals across that sequence. For a nation accustomed to making an impact on football’s biggest stages, the change in mood was urgently needed.
Forlán given an early senior test
The Uruguayan Football Association has not yet formally named Bielsa’s permanent successor. In the meantime, Forlán has been appointed coach of the under-20 team, with the objective of taking a side back to the World Cup it won in 2023 but did not contest in 2025. The former Villarreal and Atlético Madrid striker was also asked to guide the full national team for the Asian fixtures.
He selected 26 players, combining established internationals Ronald Araujo, Darwin Núñez, Mathías Olivera, Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Rodrigo Bentancur with emerging options including Santiago Mouriño, Juan Rodríguez, Facundo Bernal and Martín Satriano.
Before the tour, Forlán pointed to the depth available to Uruguay, highlighting technical quality, goalscoring options and defensive strength. “We are fortunate to have a broad group of players of the highest level,” he said.
Late Japan setback followed by attacking response
The opening match in Japan finished 3-1 to the hosts, although the scoreline became harsh only after the 90th minute. The teams were level at 1-1 when Kento Shiogai struck in the 92nd minute and Ayase Ueda added another four minutes later for Hajime Moriyasu’s side.
Forlán began that game with Núñez and Federico Viñas together in attack, seeking to end a prolonged lack of goals from Uruguay’s strikers. Viñas and Rodrigo Aguirre had been the last forwards to score, in the 3-0 World Cup qualifying win over Peru in the penultimate round of South American qualifying. Afterwards, the called-up scorers had accumulated 990 minutes without finding the net.
That run did not end in Japan, but it did in South Korea. Uruguay won 4-1, securing Forlán’s first victory as senior coach, with Núñez scoring twice. The result offered an immediate lift after the World Cup disappointment and gave the attack the finishing it had lacked in the preceding months.
New caps in India despite absences
The final fixture, a 6-1 victory over India, was played with a reduced squad. De Arrascaeta, Olivera, Sebastián Cáceres and Satriano were unavailable because of separate physical problems. Cáceres and Satriano departed the tour without appearing, while De Arrascaeta had shown the talent that injury had prevented him from displaying at the World Cup.
Brian Rodríguez also missed the India match, though his absence was caused by a passport issue rather than fitness.
Even so, Uruguay produced their most emphatic result of the tour. Maximiliano Araújo strengthened his status as a key member of the side, Núñez scored again, and Juan Rodríguez and goalkeeper Thiago Cardozo made their first appearances in the sky-blue shirt.
Two wins, a revived forward line and encouraging contributions from younger players have given Uruguay a more positive departure point for what comes next. The forthcoming Copa América and the 2030 World Cup, to be staged a century after Montevideo hosted the inaugural tournament, now stand as the major targets. Forlán remains in temporary command, but the Asian journey has given the Celeste reason to look forward again.
