Diego Forlán named interim Uruguay coach after Bielsa departure

Diego Forlán, the 47-year-old former Uruguay striker, has been appointed as the interim head coach of the senior national team following the departure of Marcelo Bielsa after Uruguay's group-stage exit at the 2026 World Cup Source: clarin. In a dual role, Forlán will also take charge of the Under-20 side, with the aim of leading them in the South American Championship in January 2027 Source: infobae.

The transition

Uruguay's football association (AUF) president Ignacio Alonso confirmed the move, stating that talks with Forlán had been ongoing for some time Source: clarin. Sources disagree on Bielsa's exit: clarin reports that the AUF 'removed' Bielsa, while excelsiormx states that Bielsa 'resigned' after the World Cup failure Source: excelsiormx. Forlán's contract runs until March 2027, covering eight months and including eight matches: six friendlies and two World Cup qualifiers Source: excelsiormxSource: clarin.

Forlán's coaching experience

Forlán has limited coaching experience, having managed Peñarol in 2020 (11 matches) and second-division side Atenas de San Carlos in 2021 Source: clarin. He will be allowed to bring in one assistant of his choosing, while the rest of the technical staff will be provided by the AUF Source: excelsiormx. His primary mission is to revitalize key players such as Federico Valverde and Darwin Núñez, and to build a competitive foundation for the 2030 World Cup, for which Uruguay will be a host nation .