Marcelo Bielsa gets upset during interview after Uruguay’s World Cup exit
Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay was knocked out of the 2026 World Cup after losing 1-0 to Spain in their last group match. It hasn’t been a great tournament for the two-time world champions, who only managed draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde before the loss to Spain.
To make things more surprising, Cape Verde moved on to the next round in second place during their first-ever World Cup, drawing all three of their games and marking a special achievement for the Tubarões Azuis.
After Uruguay’s exit, Bielsa looked very emotional and frustrated during his interview on DAZN. He was even seen telling the journalist to “just do it already” because he wanted to get off camera and back to the changing room with his team.
During the interview, Bielsa gave short, tense answers. He said goalkeeper Fernando Muslera asked to be taken off after his mistake led to the goal and took full responsibility for the team’s loss, ending the interview with a grumpy “You’re welcome.”
At the post-match press conference, Bielsa was a little calmer and explained some of his choices. He mentioned that Muslera wanted to be substituted, and he brought on Viñas for Valverde to strengthen the attack, saying the success depends on both the player coming in and the one going off.
Reflecting on his time coaching Uruguay, Bielsa called it a “complete failure.” He said, “I’m not leaving anything behind for Uruguayan football. A coach’s work means nothing without good results, and for me, it’s been disappointing — fourth place in World Cup Qualifiers, third in Copa América, and now this. My time here was a total failure.”