Bielsa took full responsibility after Uruguay's exit from the 2026 World Cup

After Uruguay's exit from the World Cup already at the group stage, the team's head coach Marcelo Bielsa resorted to harsh introspection. The coach did not blame the circumstances or the players, but passed a harsh sentence on his own legacy. At the post-match press conference, Bielsa looked like a man who is putting an end to his history with the national team. After lackluster draws with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, defeat to the Spanish in Guadalajara proved fatal. Commenting on his three-year stage at the head of the two-time world champions, the Argentine specialist was as frank as possible: "Of course, I don't need to define this performance... If you ask me how my time in the national team will be remembered, it will be a period that did not leave behind anything important," said the specialist. Bielsa emphasized that in football, ideas and bright style are worthless without final success: "I leave nothing to Uruguayan football, because any contribution I can make to the country where I worked for three years will not take root if results are not achieved," he added. The most controversial decision of the match was the replacement of 40-year-old goalkeeper Fernando Muslera at halftime. The legendary goalkeeper, who resumed his career in the national team at Bielsa's personal request, made a mistake that led to the goal. Muslera set a tragic anti-record — he became the first goalkeeper in history to make three goal-scoring mistakes in one World Cup. However, Bielsa categorically refused to turn the veteran into a veteran. Explaining the substitution at halftime, the coach noted that he was guided by empathy: "Muslera decided to leave at halftime. I made this decision not to undermine Muslera's confidence, but rather to preserve it." Bielsa also commented on the removal of captain Federico Valverde from the game in the second half - according to him, it was a forced tactical move to add physical strength to the attack, which, unfortunately, did not work. Such devastating comments from Bielsa sound especially contrasting against the background of how magically his work began. After the World Cup in Qatar, he successfully started the change of generations: in the selection, Uruguay showed bright attacking football, beat Argentina and Brazil, scoring the most on the continent. However, after the 2024 Copa América outbreak, the team lost its identity. A 5-1 defeat by the USA under former Bielsa pupil Mauricio Pochettino and a passive draw with England heralded the current fiasco. Now, after such a critical assessment of his own achievements, the 70-year-old coach is likely to end his era, not only in Uruguay, but in major international football in general.