Uruguay Announces Fixtures as Bielsa Seeks Match Venue Beyond Montevideo

Jorge Giordano, the director of national teams at the Uruguayan Football Association, explained the reasons for Uruguay’s upcoming matches in the FIFA windows of October and November. The team will travel to Malaysia to play against Uzbekistan and the Dominican Republic, chosen due to the limitations of the international calendar.

Giordano mentioned that the Nations League in Europe and Concacaf have restricted available options. “Uruguay has a fee for its matches, and not every federation is willing to pay it,” he noted. Regarding the Dominican Republic, he said: “It’s one of the fastest-growing teams in Central America, thanks to its physical strength, a foreign coach, and its efforts to reach the World Cup. There are elements that can benefit us from a sporting perspective,” although he acknowledged that they are out of contention after failing to advance in the Concacaf qualifiers.

He also confirmed that key players such as Valverde, Darwin Núñez, Ronald Araújo, and De Arrascaeta are expected to participate, emphasizing that “the first priority is the sporting aspect.” The match against Uzbekistan was easier to arrange since the team has already qualified for the World Cup.

In November, Uruguay will face Mexico in Torreón and the United States in Tampa. Looking ahead to March, Giordano mentioned potential high-profile friendlies in Europe following the conclusion of the qualifiers. For June, he shared a special request from Marcelo Bielsa: “Bielsa suggested playing a match outside Montevideo. When we explained that most supporters travel from other regions, he believed those fans deserved to see the national team play.”