Marcelo Bielsa has left Uruguay’s record scorer Luis Suarez out of the 2026 World Cup squad, opting for a younger forward line that includes Darwin Nunez, Rodrigo Aguirre and Federico Vinas, as Uruguay target a third world title after being drawn into Group H for the tournament.

The 26-player list, led by Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde and anchored in defence by Ronald Araujo and Jose Maria Gimenez, was confirmed with Uruguay given strong statistical odds of progressing from the group despite Suarez’s absence from the travelling party.

According to the Opta supercomputer, Uruguay have an 83.4% chance of progressing from Group H, a 39% chance of reaching the last 16, and a 20% probability of going at least as far as the quarter-finals, while their chances of lifting a third World Cup title stand at 1.5%.

Uruguay’s campaign begins against Saudi Arabia in Miami on June 15, before further Group H fixtures against Cape Verde and tournament favourites Spain, meaning Bielsa’s team face opponents from Asia, Africa and Europe as the Celeste aim to navigate a varied and demanding group schedule.

Suarez had stepped away from international duty in September 2024, yet in April stated that a World Cup return would remain possible by saying he would never refuse a call-up, but Bielsa has turned instead to forwards based in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas for the 2026 event.

The 39-year-old has been in strong domestic form for Inter Miami in MLS, scoring six goals across 11 league matches this year, despite starting only seven times and logging 614 minutes, leaving Suarez behind only Lionel Messi, with 12 goals, and German Berterame, with seven, in Inter Miami’s scoring charts.

Across Suarez’s international career, the forward scored 69 goals in 143 appearances for Uruguay, including seven goals at four World Cups, with three in 2010, two in 2014, two in 2018 and none during the 2022 tournament, but that record has not persuaded Bielsa to reverse the post-2024 retirement.

Valverde headlines the midfield group, which also includes Tottenham player Rodrigo Bentancur, Manchester United enforcer Manuel Ugarte and Braga’s Rodrigo Zalazar, while the defensive unit features Araujo and Gimenez alongside Sebastian Caceres, Guillermo Varela, Mathias Olivera, Matias Vina, Santiago Bueno, Jose Luis Rodriguez and Joaquin Piquerez.

The attacking pool now centres on Nunez, who plays for Al-Hilal, with wide and support options from Facundo Pellistri, Agustin Canobbio, Brian Rodriguez, Facundo Torres, Agustin Alvarez and the central options Vinas and Aguirre, as Bielsa reshapes the forward line without Uruguay’s all-time leading scorer.

The goalkeeping department consists of Sergio Rochet from Internacional, Santiago Mele of Monterrey and Fernando Muslera from Estudiantes, giving Bielsa three experienced options, while the remainder of the squad is spread across clubs in Europe, South America, the Middle East and Major League Soccer.

The full selection spans goalkeepers Rochet, Mele and Muslera; defenders Gimenez, Caceres, Araujo, Varela, Olivera, Vina, Bueno, Rodriguez and Piquerez; midfielders Ugarte, Juan Manuel Sanabria, Nicolas de la Cruz, Emiliano Martinez, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Valverde, Maximiliano Araujo and Nicolas Fonseca; plus the eight forwards already highlighted.

With Suarez staying at Inter Miami and younger forwards stepping in, Uruguay enter the 2026 World Cup relying on Valverde’s influence, Araujo and Gimenez’s defensive stability and Nunez’s finishing, while predictive models still view Bielsa’s squad as strong contenders to progress from Group H.