Diego Forlán named new manager of Uruguay national team as country looks to rebuild after World Cup exit

Diego Forlán, one of Uruguay’s most decorated strikers in history, has been appointed interim head coach of the senior national team. The 47-year-old takes charge during what might be the most turbulent period in Uruguayan football in recent memory.

Forlán was named to the role on July 13, 2026, succeeding Marcelo Bielsa, who resigned after Uruguay’s winless exit from the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He’ll also serve as permanent head coach of the Under-20 side, a dual mandate that signals the Uruguayan Football Association is thinking about both immediate damage control and long-term development.

From Golden Boot to the dugout

For anyone who watched the 2010 World Cup, Forlán needs no introduction. He won the Golden Boot that tournament as Uruguay surged to the semi-finals. Over the course of his international career, he earned 112 caps and scored 36 goals, numbers that place him among the country’s all-time greats.

His managerial CV is thinner, though not blank. He managed Peñarol in 2020 and Atenas in 2021, two stints in Uruguayan club football that gave him a taste of the tactical side of the game.

His interim role with the senior squad extends until at least March 2027. That timeline coincides with upcoming elections at the AUF, meaning the next permanent coaching appointment will likely fall to whoever wins those elections.

The bigger picture for Uruguayan football

Uruguay has punched above its weight in international football for decades. A country of roughly 3.5 million people has won two World Cups and consistently qualified for the tournament. But the Bielsa era ended with a thud, and the appointment of Forlán represents an attempt to reconnect the national team with its identity.

The dual role is worth watching closely. By also managing the Under-20 squad, Forlán gets direct oversight of the pipeline that will eventually feed into the senior team.

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