Uruguay's top players, including Valverde, are in conflict with Bielsa

Uruguayan national team players Federico Valverde, Manuel Ugarte, Rodrigo Bentancur and Sergio Roche have requested a meeting with head coach Marcelo Bielsa to inform him that they "can no longer tolerate" his coaching methods. The Blues players are unhappy with the excessive workload, which is causing some of them to get injured, reports JS, citing El Espectador, on the X social media page.

According to the source, the players also told the coach that they wanted to play against Spain (on June 27) in the third round of the 2026 World Cup group stage, playing with a low block and counterattacking. After that, Bielsa gathered the entire team and spent 48 minutes outlining his vision. The 70-year-old coach explained his intention to repeat the Spain game, which the players were not happy with. It is noted that some players got up and left the match.