DOHA/WASHINGTON: Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa has taken full responsibility for his team’s early elimination from the FIFA World Cup 2026, saying he leaves “nothing good” behind for Uruguayan football after a winless campaign.
Uruguay were knocked out after a 1-0 defeat to group winners Spain, following earlier draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. The result meant the South American side finished the group stage without a single victory.
Despite being the highest-ranked team eliminated so far at 19th in the FIFA rankings, Uruguay failed to progress from Group H, in which debutants Cape Verde secured an unexpected place in the knockout stage.
Speaking after the match, Bielsa said he accepted full responsibility for the outcome and suggested his three-year tenure had not produced lasting success for the national team.
“What do I leave for Uruguayan football? Nothing,” he said, adding that results were ultimately the only measure of a coach’s contribution.
He noted that previous achievements, including Uruguay’s fourth-place finish in qualifiers and third place at the Copa America, had not been enough to change the outcome of their World Cup campaign.
Bielsa also said that even though he believed Uruguay had performed well enough to earn more points during the group stage, the team ultimately failed to convert performances into results.
“I think we deserved more, but we leave with only two points,” he said.
The 70-year-old Argentine coach, whose contract runs through the World Cup, had previously indicated that his tenure would end after the tournament held across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Bielsa has previously managed Argentina, Chile, and English Premier League club Leeds United, and guided Chile to the knockout stage of the 2010 World Cup.
Uruguay’s exit marks another disappointing World Cup campaign for Bielsa, who also failed to progress beyond the group stage with Argentina in 2002.