Uruguay will always have a special place in World Cup history, having won the inaugural competition, which took place in their own country, back in 1930, thanks to a 4-2 victory over Argentina.
Twenty years later Uruguay repeated that feat when they won the competition for the second time, on this occasion beating hosts Brazil in the deciding game. Charrúas also made the semi-finals in 1954 and 1970.
Recent history however has seen Uruguay underachieve in the finals – South Africa will be only the fourth time they have reached the finals since 1974, failing to go beyond the second round in this period; the last time Uruguay participated in the finals resulted in a first round exit at the Korea/ Japan finals of 2002.
Read more about Uruguay's Group A Opponents:
South Africa | Mexico | France
epa06868875 Edinson Cavani of Uruguay (R) and Luis Suarez of Uruguay react after the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06868684 Cristian Rodriguez of Uruguay (R) and Paul Pogba of France in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06868696 (L-R) Luis Suarez of Uruguay, Paul Pogba of France and Lucas Torreira of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06868669 Olivier Giroud (R) of France and Jonathan Urretaviscaya of Uruguayy in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06868658 Matias Vecino (L) of Uruguay in action against Raphael Varane (R) of France during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06868423 Nahitan Nandez of Uruguay (L) and Corentin Tolisso of France in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06868450 Olivier Giroud of France and Martin Caceres (L) of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06868411 Lucas Hernandez (R) of France and Nahitan Nandez of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06868421 Rodrigo Bentancur (R) of Uruguay fouls Corentin Tolisso of France during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06868362 Cristhian Stuani (rear) of Uruguay and Paul Pogba of France in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
Kylian Mbappe (L) of France and Diego Laxalt of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06868382 Ngolo Kante of France (R) and Nahitan Nandez of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06868388 Benjamin Pavard (L) of France and Rodrigo Bentancur of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter final soccer match between Uruguay and France in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 06 July 2018.
epa06853471 Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal reacts after the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Uruguay and Portugal in Sochi, Russia, 30 June 2018.
epa06853475 Players of Uruguay celebrate after the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Uruguay and Portugal in Sochi, Russia, 30 June 2018. Uruguay won the match 2-1.
epa06853448 Luis Suarez of Uruguay (R) and goalkeeper Rui Patricio of Portugal in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Uruguay and Portugal in Sochi, Russia, 30 June 2018.
epa06853464 LRicardo Quaresma of Portugal (R) and Cristhian Stuani of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Uruguay and Portugal in Sochi, Russia, 30 June 2018.
epa06853464 LRicardo Quaresma of Portugal (R) and Cristhian Stuani of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Uruguay and Portugal in Sochi, Russia, 30 June 2018.
epa06853468 Jose Fonte (L) of Portugal and Luis Suarez of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Uruguay and Portugal in Sochi, Russia, 30 June 2018.
epa06853469 Luis Suarez of Uruguay (R) and Ricardo of Portugal in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Uruguay and Portugal in Sochi, Russia, 30 June 2018.
epa06853427 Luis Suarez (L) of Uruguay and Pepe of Portugal in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 round of 16 soccer match between Uruguay and Portugal in Sochi, Russia, 30 June 2018.
epa06839092 Aleksey Miranchuk (C) of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839075 Rodrigo Bentancur (L) of Uruguay and Artem Dzyuba of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839079 Fedor Kudryashov (L) of Russia and Nahitan Nandez of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06838948 Nahitan Nandez (L) of Uruguay and Denis Cheryshev of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839052 Luis Suarez of Uruguay (R) and Sergei Ignashevich of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06839073 Igor Smolnikov of Russia (R) fouls Diego Laxalt of Uruguay during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06838864 Matias Vecino of Uruguay (RL) and Aleksandr Samedov of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06838890 Luis Suarez of Uruguay (R) and Ilya Kutepov of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06838833 Matias Vecino of Uruguay (R) and Artem Dzyuba of Russia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Russia in Samara, Russia, 25 June 2018.
epa06825055 Edinson Cavani of Uruguay (L) tries to score during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06825051 Lucas Torreira (L) of Uruguay in action against Hussain Al Mogahwi (R) of Saudi Arabia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 20 June 2018.
Luis Suarez of Uruguay celebrates after scoring the 1-0 lead during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06825018 Lucas Torreira of Uruguay (L) and Salem Al-Dawsari of Saudi Arabia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 20 June 2018.
Yasir Al-Shahrani of Saudi Arabia (R) and Luis Suarez of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06824894 Matias Vecino of Uruguay (R) and Salem Al-Dawsari of Saudi Arabia in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06824914 Taiseer Al Jassam of Saudi Arabia (down) injured on the pitch during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 20 June 2018.
Carlos Sanchez (L) of Uruguay in action against Salman Al-Faraj (R) of Saudi Arabia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06824841 Salem Al-Dawsari of Saudi Arabia (L) and Guillermo Varela of Uruguay in action during prior the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06824865 Fahad Al-Muwallad of Saudi Arabia (L) and Guillermo Varela of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06824819 Carlos Sanchez (L) of Uruguay in action against Salman Al-Faraj (R) of Saudi Arabia during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Rostov-On-Don, Russia, 20 June 2018.
epa06810148 Jose Gimenez (C) of Uruguay goes for a header to score the 1-0 lead during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Egypt and Uruguay in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06810146 Jose Gimenez of Uruguay (5R) scores the 1-0 during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Egypt and Uruguay in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06809795 Martin Caceres of Uruguay (L) and Amr Warda of Egypt in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Egypt and Uruguay in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06809788 Trezeguet of Egypt (R) and Nahitan Nandez of Uruguay (L) in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Egypt and Uruguay in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06809797 Marwan Mohsen (L) of Egypt and Jose Gimenez of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Egypt and Uruguay in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06809804 Tarek Hamed of Egypt (C) and Matias Vecino of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Egypt and Uruguay in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06809830 Tarek Hamed of Egypt (R) and Giorgian De Arrascaeta of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Egypt and Uruguay in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06809672 Guillermo Varela of Uruguay (CR) and Marwan Mohsen of Egypt (CL) during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Egypt and Uruguay in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06809703 Trezeguet (L) of Egypt and Diego Godin of Uruguay in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Egypt and Uruguay in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06809768 Martin Caceres (R) of Uruguay and Amr Warda of Egypt in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Egypt and Uruguay in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
epa06809769 Rodrigo Bentancur (L) of Uruguay and Trezeguet of Egypt in action during the FIFA World Cup 2018 group A preliminary round soccer match between Egypt and Uruguay in Ekaterinburg, Russia, 15 June 2018.
Uruguay
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