Team: Uruguay
FIFA Ranking: 6 Nickname: La Celeste
A cruising 5-0 aggregate win over Jordan ensured La Celeste’s booking at Brazil 2014.
With two World Cup trophies in their cabinet, the 1970 Mexico semi-final and a repeat in South Africa in 2010 remain their only best accomplishment thus far. Uruguay will be looking to bring back the poise they used to show, and perhaps challenge for the grand prize.
FIFA World Cup history
1930: Uruguay wins its first World Cup trophy on home soil
1950: Uruguay secures its second World Cup tournament win, this time around in Brazil.
1970: They were booted out of the semi-finals of the competition in Mexico.
2002: Korea/Japan: La Celeste couldn’t manage it past the group stages.
2010: Playing in their 11th World Cup finals, the team showed glimpses of what was once known as one of the powerhouses of world football. Spearheaded by the inspirational Diego Forlan, they could only secure fourth place.
Forlan went on to win the Adidas Golden Ball as the tournament’s outstanding player.
Key players
Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani
Coach: Oscar Washington Tabarez
Affectionately known as El Maestro, Tabarez has been at Uruguay’s helm since 2006.
He has been credited with leading Uruguay back to international prominence.
He steered the team to the semi-final spot at the 2010 World Cup.
Under him, Uruguay won the Copa America and are now sixth in the FIFA rankings, a remarkable achievement for a nation with a population of 3.5m.
James Horncastle, writing for Fox Sports, describes Tabarez as “an outstanding tactician, deserving of his place on FIFA’s shortlist for Coach of the Year.”
Country profile
Uruguay is on the east of South America. It is the second smallest country in the region. The country covers 68 000 area and has a population of 3,494,382. Almost half of the population in the country lives in the capital city Montevideo. The city has an area of 200 square metres. Montevideo is rich with architectural and cultural heritage. White people are the majority in Uruguay making 88% of the population. Eight percent of the population are Mestizos and 4% are Black.
Amerindian is another ethnic group found in the country. Languages spoken in the country include Spanish, Portuguese and Portunol although most of the people speak Spanish. The country has stable democracy and its civilians enjoy benefits such as free education. The country has a high number of primary school children who enrol in secondary school. Education is compulsory and free for all children between the ages of 6 to 14. The country has free labour and political conditions. Agriculture plays an important role in the country’s economy. It constitutes 10% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The country’s area land and weather conditions make it the best place for farming. Some of the products the country exports include rice, beef, wheat, soybeans and cellulose. The country’s economy is also dependent on foreign trade. It trades with countries including Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Mexico, China and the United States. Uruguay’s GDP economy is expected to expand by 3% in 2014 and grew 4% in 2013.
– By Tshepo Tsheole and Lerato Matlala
