The Miracle Talent of an Unlikely Nation
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2022
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South America is bristling with footballing talent. And is home to some of the most successful footballing nations, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.
Uruguay is only the 10th largest country in South America. Yet it has been a footballing powerhouse since the beginning of the 1900s. But how have they managed it?
This is the story of a country that punches well above its weight. Written by Seb Stafford-Bloor, illustrated by Henry Cooke.
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#WorldCup #Uruguay #FIFA - กีฬา
It is still unbeliavable to me that both Suarez and Cavani were born in a city with only 100 000 people in (and in a span of 20 days)
So was Christiano Ronaldo. He was born in Funchal in Portugal, city of 100k and grew up in Santo Antonio, a town of 27k
but the point is they both born in the same city. It would be like if Ronaldo and Quaresma were both born in the same city, almost at the same time
@@joaoflak but isn’t that population amount still more than enough to produce good players, even tho Uruguay and Portugal have a small population relative to other countries that’s still alot of people, how is it considered a surprise when amazing players come up from low populated countries?
@@benzyluu2684 Because smaller populations have less people which means there are less chances of finding really good football players. that's not the only factor when it comes to getting good players but it's usually one of the most helpful which can be seen with Brazil which is the biggest country where football is the biggest sport and from that has seen the most success.
@@benzyluu2684 I honestly don't know many examples in which the top 2 nation players were born within a small range of time and in the same small city. I find that really interesting, dont't you?
Uruguay also invented Futsal (or five-a-side), it's a small country but they are definetly an underrated giant of the history of the sport.
Ya it's because of futsal the South American nations started producing players with skill and futsal is the next big thing for future gens.
I'd say that was the big reason for success, its critical to development these days.
@@mtk3755 There are so many players who made a transition from Futsal to Football. And you can see the impact of Futsal on their game... Like Ben yedder. They are two different types of football because each one has certain needs but Futsal makes a better footballer but 11 a side footballer will certainly find it difficult to play fustal if they aren't as technical!
@@ayoubgourram9011 Ronaldinho!
They were one of the first nations that had professional footballers.
You can see it in Valverde’s eyes when he plays. He has so much pride for himself and his country playing the sport.
Valverde is gonna be one of the best in the world
@@dyce3008 He migh become one of the top 15 midfielders in the world
Would love Valverde in LFC team.
That guy is serious quality.
@@fernandovargas5338 I genuinely think Top 5. He and Bellingham are gonna rule the world
@@dyce3008 I mean, he is already 24, so not really a youngster. I believe the top 5 is a little far off for him given there are players like Pedri, Bellingham, Musiala, Gavi, Kimmich, etc.
Here after Uruguay won the U-20 World Cup beating Italy. This country will never run out of talent, it's amazing considering the small size of their country
They also won in 2022 Libertadores U20 with Peñarol and 2018 with Nacional, the problem is this players get sold instanlty to Europe or North America
Being uruguayan, I think part of the secret is the fact that about 99% (if not 100%) of the boys play football at least once before they are 12 years old. If there is some good player out there, we spot it. Women league is catching up very quickly. My mother, now in her 60s, played football while she was young, the finals were radioed. Footbal is everywhere, we even use footbal terms to express feeling or explain life situations...
Chile complaining about the ineligibilty of a player from another nation is considered football heritage now 😂
LOLZ you made me laugh
funnier cuz it isn't the first time they've complained about ineligibility lol
It wouldn't be a complete shock to see a World Cup final between Uruguay and Croatia, despite their combined population being smaller than that of Bogotá, Baghdad and Chicago.
Had Cavani not been injured, there was a chance that this might have been the 2018 WC finals match.
I am wating for the same thing. at least one time of a death match in the WC. I believe they never playing each other in history.
I’m not Uruguayan, but I love the national team. I have been supporting Uruguay since the 2010 World Cup
Shout out to Alvaro Recoba, the forgotten genius. Not trying to say he was as good as Suarez, Cavani or Forlan but he deserved to be on the list.
Free kick god who is never mention alongside Juninho P etc in the best ever list
He was as good though
In 2000 he's one of the best player in the world but inconsistent due to injuries. I agree with you he's should be mentioned together with Surez and that time there're stack of talent in each team in Europe
Good shout. And a lot of people forget about the defensive talent they have produced as well. Godín, Lugano and Giménez are recent examples.
Early success, heritage, fairly wealthy (GDP higher than a lot of European countries) are all good indicators for new talent coming through
Yeah for 2-3years he was unstoppable in Italy
that's why, even though us brazilians and argentinians always respect our rivalry, we still consider uruguay in the same level as us. brazil-uruguay and argentina-uruguay are also clasicos
And i think the biggest rivalry of Brazil till the 70's was Uruguay since Argentina was a small national team at those times, Uruguay and Brazil had 3 and 2 world cups already when Argentina had nothing, now its the opposite Argentina vs Brazil is the biggest classico in America and then Uruguay - Brazil/Argentina
Before 2023 it wasn't really a classic, as Uruguay vs Argentina or Uruguay vs Brazil would end 3-0 in favor of the opponents, but I think now they are classics again, as we are proper rivals again
Well, Uruguay just gained a new fan. Bravo Tifo
Now we are 3.5M +1 :D welcome to LA CELESTE hype train
Are you from Uruguay!? Hola from filipinas
Love the country too. It's small. But has good economy.
I have no relationship to Uruguay outside of football, but God damn do I love Uruguay. What an amazing story
As a South African citizen I would like to
appreciate the Uruguayan national team
performances at the 2010 FIFA world cup
....Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez were unbelievable 😎👌🏿🔥🔥🔥
they ruined my childhood 😪😢first time I actually cried due to my country losing.... as soon as it was 1 nil I knew we wouldn't make the next round... I still want revenge🤣🤣🤣🤣
@@syabongalerara5278 see you soon 😈😈😈
I'm from Brazil and i can confirm that we respect a lot the Uruguaian football, they play with passion and are really aggressive but not in a disrespectifull way
Sometimes it can be in a disrespectful way too, Urguaians used to have really tough teams.
I guess I would say we respect Uruguay's history in football. It's really remarcable. Wouldn't go as far as saying brazilians respect the Uruguayan League or clubs. Peñarol and Nacional are light years behind any mid table team in the Brazilian League.
@@joaopedropeixoto8558 Although that is unequivocally true on average, those same players tend to play with a lot more passion for our national squad. There is a sense of responsibility, duty and honor infused in most of our players when they play for our nation. We don't always have the brightest stars in world football, but our national squad tends to play better as a team than the sum of its parts.
@@Chuts89 That makes total sense. But if you don't mind me asking (I really don't know), how many players from the Celestes' squad play in uruguayan clubs?
@@joaopedropeixoto8558 This happen cos' economics on uruguayan clubs, mainly talent get sold to europe very early and teams are forced to make it with old playes, youth or signs from lower leagues. Also, the point sistem on the desend table doesn't alow big teams to go down easily. Add to that that the man city group it's bee around for some years now on shell clubs like Maldonado selling and buying players to europe. You wont't see peñarol main club lift the libertadores, but you can see the talent thats it's gonna be sold on youth tournaments like under 20' libertadores or wolrd cups.
I am brazilian, and have great admiration for Uruguai. Always a tough game.
Last time Uruguay won against Brazil was in 2001. Still, respectable oponents even though Brazil absolutely crushed them in the last match.
@@joaopedropeixoto8558 Brazil is Brazil bro 😂🇧🇷🇺🇾
@@joaopedropeixoto8558 Uruguay is the only South American country left that haven't lost a Word Cup or Copa America on his own territory. Argentina lost 2 Copa Americas in Argentina against Uruguay, Brasil lost a World Cup against Uruguay and Germany (7-1), and Copa America against Argentina (2020). South American football is some serious business lol
@@joaopedropeixoto8558Now Brazil is having a hard time, I hope you get better
@@averagecountryballenjoyer42 no coach + Vini, Neymar and Casemiro injured + testing new players. It'll all work out. 2026 is ours ;)
Love Uruguay and it's footballing story, cause it reminds me so much of my country's, Croatia
Except Croatia will not get the same love from TIFO football after knocking England out of the 2018 World Cup. 😂🤣
Uruguay knocked out England from 2014 WC. Brothers in arm the both. 💪🏻💪🏻
I hope one day it would be a match game between those two nations. so much fun to watch it. I cant wait next WC
@@guillermonardone3431 Totally forgot... that was the year Costa Rica and Uruguay advanced out of their group while Italy and England got the boot!!
@@terrywho22 Uruguay did it twice 1954 World Cup Uruguay 4-2 England (Quarter Finals), 2014 World Cup Uruguay (Suarez) 2-1 England (Group Stage).
Who remembers diago forlan long range goals in the south africa 2010 world cup
i only remember the long goal van bronckhorst scored to knock out uruguay in the semi finals 🤪
@@boortsy12 big funy
Probably many people.
Ah yes, the Jabulani tamer
@@boortsy12 lol SAME
I'm a photojournalist also focused on Football, last year I was privileged to photograph the Libertadores finals in Montevideo, Centenario Stadium, an Icon of the sport. Even the finals being two Brazilian teams (Palmeiras x Flamengo), the time I stood in Uruguay was amazing to understand how fascinated they are with football! Amazing lovely country that also breath the rivalry of a healthy football. They are strong, but also so intelligent with the ball that I can understand why so many teams are in search for Uruguayan talents. Great video, Uruguay is special, and deserve all the recognition for their achievements.
Terrible day to remember, as a Flamengo fan 😔
A Great day to remember as a Palmeiras fan 💚
Glad you had that experience.
@@raphaelorciolli3888 xd
Thank you, You are very kind.
I'm a Brazilian and I support Uruguay whenever I can and have much respect for the country, in football and outside of it. Also being a Flamengo supporter I must say De Arrascaeta is my football idol.
we have hopes for him in the WC next few weeks
@@fradda1 Unfortunately, the coach was not as enthusiastic.
I love Flamengo team, ZIco was my idol, and I am from Uruguay.
As a Uruguayan, I will always support the Celeste. It doesn't matter the odds, but Brazil will always be my second team if we are not playing. You have great players and game ethics, and we are brothers. Cheers!
Uruguay bravery is known as GARRA CHARRUA here in southamerica
i am from Chile and
My late grandfather was witness of that incredible force on the pitch 50s
leadership, resilience, and toughness by every actor on the arena
from the crowd, coach assistants, ball boys and players every single one of them
he once said if the planet is about to fight for its future on a football game, the team captain has to be from Uruguay
Eduardo Bonvallet and Pedro Carcuro: two Chilean journalists who expressed admiration and respect for Uruguayan futbol like I haven't seen
Great video! I lived in Uruguay for a few years. I once asked a local how such a low key society manage to produce such tough strong soccer teams. He told me “ when you are a tiny nation sandwiched between Argentina and Brazil , you have to be tougher , play with , more heart bite ( no pun intended ) and claw to make room for yourself in soccer in the southern cone. Can you think of tougher defenders than Paolo Montero , Lugano , Godin? That’s Garra charrua spirit. In addition unique talent in the likes of Enzo F , Recoba Forlán , Suarez , Cavani, Ruben Paz; Ruben Sosa . Man, they have soccer in their veins.
Ruben Paz was my idol as a child even tho I could only see him at his peak in old VHS tapes from a show called Estadio Uno. For a while he was the best Uruguayan player in my lifetime for sure. Similar to Ronaldo Nazario he suffered a knee injury at Peñarol when very young and when he recovered was sold to Internacional SC where while he was a massive success there, same as in Argentine giant Racing, the world never knew his true potential from before his injury. The guy was in a class of his own for Uruguayan standards, leagues above the rest of his generation.
"Bite" 😂😂
Uruguay has to be the most talented footballing country on a per capita basis. Unreal how much talent they produce with such a small population. ❤️ 🇺🇾 - 🇺🇸
dunno, Portugal.
@@agostinho6550 Portugal has three times Uruguay population and never won a World Cup.
@@pabloa.falero2654 Well Croatia has same population and has been better than Uruguay since independence
@@pabloa.falero2654 we won 2 competitions in the last 10 years
@@kinidiosodlosios6892 Croatia couldn't win a world cup even when they were part of Yugoslavia. Uruguay with 1/4 the population of Yugoslavia won 2 world cups and reached the semis in 1954, 1970 and 2010. Zidane named his son after Enzo Francescoli the best Uruguayan soccer player of the 80's. Why are you so jealous as a Croatian?
I love that you left Jose Andrade with the "One of the finest players of his era" subtitle on screen for so long. Respect
I am a big fan of Uruguay along with Brazil. In the early 80s Uruguay came to play in India , we saw Enzo Francescoli play in Kolkata. I hope they do well in the World Cup, would not mind them winning it even though I am a fan of Brazil.
We brazilians don't really have a rivalry with Uruguay. We see them as small brothers. Wouldn't mind seeing them lifting the trophy aswell, although I don't think that'll ever happen anymore.
We Uruguayans also like Brazilians or "brazukas", even when we hit them hard with the Maracanazo at their own home soil, some Uruguayans players were side to side with the Brazilian people trying to comfort them. Uruguay and Argentina share the European origins , Brazil is more African descendent people and I think that difference is what make us like them, because we are so different but so close on the map.
As a Uruguayan-American myself and big fan of the channel, it makes me so happy to see you guys talk about our history. Among Latin Americans there is a lot of respect for us Charrúa, always been the smallest country with the biggest fight. Hopefully they get to host the centennial World Cup in 2030!
Im an Argentinian-American and while we have a rivalry I love you guys. Beautiful country and some of my best memories in my life are visiting it with my family on vacation
What are you on about? We respect Uruguay but not because of the "Garra Charrúa". Uruguay is just amazingly good, but everyone here knows that "Garra Charrúa" is just a fancy way of saying "I'll foul you til you can't move anymore" lol
Much respect to Uruguay, small country with much history of football and one of the most successful nations. Produce world class talent, Francescoli, Recoba, Suarez, Cavani to name a few
Uruguayan American??? isn't Uruguay in America already..
Uruguay noma!!!!!!!!
I had no idea that they had such a small population... I'm from Iran and Iran just managed to beat Uruguay 1-0 in a friendly. Both sides had all their best players. But knowing that they have a population only 1/5 that of Tehran (Iran's capital) dilutes the sweetness of that win. The amount of talent they have for their size is unbelievable.
random and probably not the time my b, but how do you feel about the protests in Iran, etc?
Bro India have 1 Billion and still cant win South Asian game and China also have 1 billion and invest big but they cant win
A nice humble comment - good luck in the World Cup 👍
@@MrThhg another US sponsored attempt at regime change, they just live interfering in other countries affairs don’t they, especially Iran’s. Almost always countries with oil or oil infrastructure, go figure
Your goal keeper is amazing, his throws are unbelievable
Still remember players like Paolo Montero on that amazing Juventus as well as Alvaro Recoba in Inter de Milan. Uruguay 🇺🇾 is just amazing.
forlan is such a legend and i can finally use him in fifa 23
From some reason, even as a young boy, I was always attracted to supporting Uruguay. They always had plenty of heart and skill and epitomized the underdog spirit in football.
My friends laugh at me when they get to know I support Uruguay 🇺🇾
But no one understands the emotions of supporting this incredible nation
Viva Uruguay 🇺🇾
Oh, as an Uruguayan I'm so happy to hear that! Where are you from?
@@mateosac3799 I'm from India, I started supporting Uruguay since 2006 after reading a lot of books about them in our school library. Also the domination of their clubs Penarol and Nacional in 1960s and 1980s. It just fascinated me that they were up with the best of Brazil and Argentina which have much larger talent pool.
@@elennet4116 india? Brown monkey
@@mateosac3799 I love Uruguay, beautiful football and great players, saludos desde Argelia
Vamos Vamos URUGUAY from Edinburgh
Wow, I had no idea Uruguay was so small. They fight like a country 10x their size. I just watch them beat Canada last night in Bratislava and they were phenomenal. Half a step quicker all the time, stronger, and with much more accurate anticipation. It would be nice to see them do well in the World Cup!
Really? I thought we were really poor, especially in the second half! But maybe that is because there's a sense of high expectation towards this team, as we have so many good players. It really makes you excited for what can happen in the World Cup but also more demanding for better performances.
@@renzoloco I may not have the best opinion, this is only the second live match I’ve ever seen with the first being Canada’s against Qatar. Both teams could have taken their chances better, but Uruguay always looked like the better team. Davies seemed to be the only Canadian that made the Uruguayans scared, but even then he wasn’t in the most threatening positions of the pitch. Looking more objectively, I’m sure you’re right to be disappointed with those high calibre players. Canada held it down at the back well enough, but were pretty toothless in attack. Both teams have some work to do before November
it's 11 v 11 , Uruguay's population is not a disadvantage as they have 3.5 million to chose 11 players from
@@PickledAwesomness you've only ever watched two games of football and are now on TH-cam commentating in matches ? damn son
@@christophergallagher3845 live match he said!?
So glad Uruguay finally gets recognized for its remarkable achievements!
What do you mean "finally"?
When I was a boy in the 1980's; Uruguay was recognised up with Argentina and Brazil as among the "big three" of South American football. Not just because of its still very competitive national team with great players like Francescoli, Sosa & Paz. But also because of the competitivity and success and player production of Uruguayan clubs like Nacional and Penarol.
It wasn't until the late 1990's, when Uruguay badly failed to make the 1998 world cup (after being South American champs in 1995) and their 80s stars like Francescoli were retiring in their late 30s with only Recoba (and maybe Fabian O'Neill) coming through and only above-average Poyet, Montero, and Fonseca as their supposed "bedrock" did people start saying that Uruguay were a former great team and were being forgotten about. They looked eclipsed by Colombia in South American football. And their pretty poor showing in 2002 underlined that.
It was the 2010 world cup that put Uruguay back among the teams people rated as chances to win major tournaments.
@@danieleyre8913 as a Uruguayan myself this is an excellent explanation, thank you.
Eduardo Galeano's 'Soccer in Sun and Shadow" is a great read -- his prose is beautiful as he presents a nostalgic view of the game
the tenacity with which valverde plays shows his character that i didnt know came from his nationality. i hope the boy achieves the greatest of successes in his time. same for darwin, just needs that confidence, usually comes second season for him.
Usually 2nd season? Because it happened once? Lmao delusional scouser
Valverde is our Golden Boy right now. And he came from MY TEAM Peñarol.
I think Valverde is a true star in R Madrid but in the national team he needs to have more trust on himself.
I would love to see Uruguay win the world cup again, the underrated legendary nation of football 🇺🇾 💙
I have been waiting for this video for years. The day I found their population, I was completely blown away...
As a Brazilian, I always said Uruguay is the soccer country. You can select any 3.5 million inhabitants in a continuous area in Brazil, and you won't get nearly as much talent as Uruguay. I don't know how they do it, but it is truly miraculous.
And it is deeply embarrassing for Mexico, Egypt, Turkey and Iran. Big countries with soccer craze, but unable to generate many good players.
Add México to that list
@@gustavohaedo736 They are there... you missed it. Mexico is by far the largest embarrasment.
Your aren't Brazilian. You said soccer
(Joke)
“The Chilean FA launched a protest against the Uruguayans, fielding ‘two Africans’ in their side.”
Some things never change
🤣😂🤣😂 brilliant.
lmao
🤣🤣🇺🇾
I came for this!!! Hahaha this chileans xD
xd
Very impressive story. It's always one of my favorite teams in the WCs. Saludos desde Portugal e Buena suerte para Qatar
Igualmente
Obrigado amigo!
Saudaçoes do Uruguay
As a Uruguayan-American it makes me very happy and proud to see this video. When people ask me where I am from, the majority only know what/where Uruguay is because of football. For people who have never spent time in Uruguay it is hard to explain how ingrained soccer is in the national identity and how much pride the people have for their footballers. This is why every player gives absolutely everything for the national team which is one of the reasons they consistently "over-perform". A few years ago I thought we had seen everything we could from this past generation of Uruguayan players (Forlan, Suarez, Cavani, Godin, etc.) and that team was going to decline a bit like they did in the 90's and 2000's, but now with Valverde, Araujo, Bentancur, and Nuñez coming through it looks like La Celeste is in good hands. Thank you Tifo!
I'm brazilian and a Flamengo fan. Our best player is uruguyan, Giorgian Arrascaeta. He's a trickster with the ball and gave insane passes to Gabigol, made me very happy in several situations. I admire so much his country and I'd like to visit it.
@@caiogobbi3688 Was always wondering why Arrascaeta never got any solid offer from Europe. He's a very good and underrated player.
@@Darwinek Bro, don't tell this because I want him in my team for a long time. A lot of specialists say that Arrascaeta haven't the intesity to play in Europe, I totaly disagree about this analisis. Arrascaeta not only is a trickster but also a baller with the ball, he's perfect to play in Spain or Italy, but as a Flamengo fan I prefer him in my team.
As an Australian, I have to say Uruaguay is always my second team. I love that our qualification to the 2006 World Cup in Germany came against Uruguay and I don't mean that in a cheeky way. It's very cool to have a history with this amazing football nation. Luis Suarez is also the best player I've ever seen live I think! Darwin looks an amazing player in the making.
As an Australian, I respect Uruguay in football as a team always punching above their weight. Was ecstatic when we beat them to go to the 2006 World Cup, but felt a bit sad as if any team deserves to go to a World Cup, it's Uruguay.
As Uruguayan living in your Country, I can say that Australia deserved that victory. Probably it was the only moment in history that Australia had a better team than Uruguay, it will probably not happen again, how knows! I just can remember almost all of that Australian team at that moment they made me very sad but over time I understood that they were better in that moment. I only hope that Australia will have a team like that again and this time there will be continuity to give football here the space it had again. Cheers!
I've come across a lot of Australians who imagine that Australian and Uruguay have this nasty rivalry in Soccer and they treat Uruguay as the enemy team, always celebrating when they get knocked out of world cup's.
And they seemed to really hate it when I tell them that most Uruguayans barely even think of Australia in soccer terms, and that they have a long history of rivalry with Argentina and Brazil from Copa America's and world cup qualifiers to worry about, as well as temporary rivalries of history with Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, etc.
there was a very interesting story regarding Obdulio Varela and the aftermath of the 1950 Maracanazzo. He was so distressed by the mood of people following the match (saw as a guaranteed win for pundits, politicians and supporters) that he confessed that he should had given away the victory to Brazil. But history shows it was one of the greatest comebacks in the world cup history, are moments like that which made us love the sport, through joy and pain
Forlan 2010 was still one of the most beautiful moments of any modern WC.
Nope Messi WC 2022. enough said.
@@AlbPerNil 5 penalties woo.
@@0megalul309 think of it this way, according to haters messi sucks at penalites right?so this world cup was an answer to those.
your statement stands negated
@@AlbPerNil "one of the most beautiful", not the most beautiful. Messi incels never read
@@AlbPerNil Dude, he said ONE OF THE BEST, not THE best, give it a rest, we all know Messi in last year's WC was out of this world, but still.
I like Uruguay's midfield with Tottenham's Rodrigo Bentancur, Real Madrid's Federico Valverde and Lazio's Matias Vecino.
Very solid
Don't forget Sporting's Manuel Ugarte too
Lucas Torreira also
Vecino ☠️💀
Doesn't Valverde play on the wing?
Urugua was the first nation in South America to star playing football. If you look back in the developing of football here in Brasil, you'll see that a lot of Uruguayin coaches came up here to train legendary teams like Vasco's Expresso da Vitória that won against European Champions Real Madrid in 57, and were the basis of the Brazi'ls 1950 team that lost to Uruguay in the Maracanazo. One of the things that stood Uruguay apart from Brazil, for example, was that in Brazil football was a game for the rich and white, while in Uruguay that was never the case. The game developed quickly there, just as it will develop in Brasil after becoming more open to lower classes and the afro-brazilian population (Pelé and Garrincha being the obvious examples of that).
The player i will always remember was Daniel Fonseca. 90's Serie A was probably the best league in the world at the time and he was a superstar. Quite surprising not seeing his name in this video
I have an old VHS where Fonceca and Bengoechea with Francescoli where the super stars of 1995 Copa America, man Bengoechea is still today the best freekicker of all times in the National Team, not even Recoba could do a freekick like him he was insane
I'm glad you've picked so many quotes from Galeano's El Fútbol a Sol y Sombra. A wonderful read.
every time you watch Uruguay play, there is a sense of resilience that only fights towards winning with little care of whether it was with a convincing fashion. That's why every team is cautious playing against them, they know there will always be a run for the money.
I remembered Uruguay came to Singapore to play a friendly match in May 2002 in preparation of the 2002 F.I.F.A World Cup. I attended that match. It was a once in a lifetime experience.
Hey! I'm a Singaporean, as well as a fan of La Celeste! I heard about that match. Unfortunately, I won't get to be at that old National Stadium to watch, as I was only 5 years old then.
@@jiefifa4210 As an Uruguayan, I'm so happy to hear that we have people outside our country supporting us
@@mateosac3799 (Polish guy here) I've been supporting Uruguay since my childhood. Your fighting spirit combined with immense talent is always an inspiration.
@@Darwinek Oh, such an honor to hear that. I'm excited to see you guys in the World Cup this year, i think that considering the accessible group you're in, and considering you have Lewandowski, you might get to avance beyond the group stages, who knows, maybe our national teams can face off in the tournament! 💪
@@mateosac3799 That would be great but knowing our national team at the World Cup since 2002, I believe they already booked their flights home two days after the last group match.
Amazing video. In fact Uruguay are officially 4x FIFA world champs (1924 and 1928 are the ONLY olympics officially recognized as World Cup equivalents). For a nation of 3 million to have 4 titles is probably the most impressive achievement I’ve ever heard of in sports.
Hence ⭐⭐⭐⭐ on the jersey.
Technically and due to the very same reason Uruguay is 4 times World Champion instead of just 2, Belgium olympic gold could be considered the very first world title because the tournament was organized by the English FA but also jointly by FIFA like the 1924 and 1928 were. I never understood why they never tried to fight for their recognition.
That's a joke. A WC is a WC period.
@@tiagozimermann9028 That WAS the wc at the time mate, they played the football world cup in the olympics, after 1928 the FIFA wanted to do it a standalone event.That's why FIFA recognizes the 2 olympic cups as wc and let Uruguay have 4 stars on the jersey.
@@tiagozimermann9028Dont cry bb :(
I really miss the impact of Uruguayan clubs in South America, like Peñarol and Nacional. Nowadays, they really can no longer compete for the Libertadores. Their national team is often there or there about, but club football is really a shadow of what it once was.
Unfortunately because of finances Uruguayan players are sold before they truly develop at home.
@@richardthompson3346 oh, I know all about that brother, my team is Vasco da Gama😪
Our league got EXTREMELY poor after football shifted towards UEFA. We used to be even with CONMEBOL but not anymore. So when CONMEBOL decided to give extra spots to Brazil and Argentina to improve their leagues ours went in a downwards spiral even faster than how it was already going. In 1983 we beated Italian giant AC Milan 1-0 at home , in 2017 - and even if it was as the height of La Paz - we lost 6-2 to Bolivar so I don't even want to know how bad the team is in 2023. It's a disaster really.
Well, nowadays we have a new era of football, where economy and money prevails, and since Brazil is a much bigger country, it's only natural clubs in Brazil (like flamengo) are more powerful and richer, even though Uruguai is a better country overall, they just don't have the numbers in the national league. But their national team certainly has potential
@@eduardovc4527 Agree. Its MINDBLOWING how much the world has changed. I just we were rich so our clubs woundn't be worth a damn tho 🤣
Recoba at inter was really something else if only he would have been more injury free... Could have been an all-time great
so much quality has come from Uruguay hope they have a good world cup
the country itself is also worth visiting, give it a chance!
That was an excellent video, thank you. Well done to Uruguay for having an excellent footballing history.
I usually compare my country, Portugal, natural talent for football with Uruguay.
But we have 10M people, old colonies....
And we never won a world cup :(
Good job Uruguay
Portugal has a lot of great talented players too. Even a hypothetical Portugal B team would consistently qualify for Euro and World Cup.
@@Darwinek their A team almost miss this one. portgal is way too over rated
Im Uruguayan and im used to Live un Portugal. We Have a More similar country than the people can really see. Im still regarding Lisbon. Portugal needs More infrastructure on hes local league to be competitive against Spain, England or Italy teams. Its just the same here, but with a national team tradition of winnings and a much bigger social relevance. Big hugs bro!
This is the kind of thing that's the absolute peak of Tifo. So good!
Astonishing how Uruguay are (both size- and population-wise) compared to Albania & Kosovo yet they have 2 World Cups to their name while the latter two have 1 combined appearance in major tournaments… if we determine greatness to size ratio then they probably have to be the greatest footballing nation ever.
Seems a little unfair to include a country like Kosovo that hasn’t even existed for that many world cups
Most of Albania's best players play for the Swiss
switzerland is just basically albania
We have 4 world cups since 1924 and 1928 football cups were played during the olympic games, and FIFA recognizes those as wc cause they were organized by them, previous to the standalone FIFA world cup. That's why uruguay has 4 stars on his jersey.
Brilliant nation. Consistently punching above their weight and always to be taken seriously. Their strong culture allows them to consistently produce top class players.
in what terms do they punch above their weight ?
@@christophergallagher3845 For a relatively small nation (population is only 3 million), they are always a solid team in international football
@@jackbradshaw8992 Thanks. Best answer.
@@jackbradshaw8992 Populatiin size isn’t actually all too important to be honest. It’s about coaching quality, culture, infrastructure and facilities. Or else we’d see countries like China India USA and Indonesia dominating football but they don’t.
@@Junior-zf7yy Yeah, it is. There’s a very strong correlation between population size and gold medals/trophies. Look it up. No one is claiming it’s a perfect correlation. Just a strong one.
the difference between Argentina and Uruguay is that Argentina is full of Ego's and Uruguay are full of "team players", they help each other on the field... just watch valverde he plays as he is needed and he is a polyvalent player.
I remember reading in a sports magazine about hectro castro. How he looked like a wounded bird who still flew in the wings. This was great.
This is why I watch Tifo. What an excellent piece.
Always one of my favourites in WC and Copa America, great players, nice kits, everything. Hopefully they will do great things in Qatar!
I am following Uruguay from 2010 WC. I have no idea why they play very defensive when they have such ballers in their team.
The previous manager, Oscar Tabarez, loves that style of play and was never able to modify it to accomodate the new talent in midfield. With Alonso now we are trying to change that, but it takes time. The change should have been done after 2018 when it was clear that Tabarez's process had run its course. Let's see what happens when they have a bit more time to practice before the World Cup
@@renzoloco I would have switched manager after 2014.
@@richardthompson3346 The football organization in Uruguay is a mafia since 1970s, thats why since there to 2010 there is not too much good achievements in World Cups, mafia in the way that the people in charge only cares about money and image, but not about football, also thats why since 1980s uruguayan clubs didnt won a single Libertadores. Now we saw the same thing, they changed the coach for image, but dont care about the good football and good proyects, another bad performance in the World Cup because of a bad coach. The uruguayans are tired and mad of this, they are making money and destroying our legacy and football while others countries with less history or class players are doing better, and we cant do anything, players like Forlan, Cavani, Godin, Suárez only won a Copa America, one of the best teams in our history and the organization did nothing with it
As a fan who's been supporting Uruguay since my first World Cup, I'm so happy that you made a video about it.
Vamos 🇺🇾
I read that as from the first World Cup at first, was thinking you were the original glory hunter
@@Ryan-ys2bq lmao
"Nostalgic view might offer England" yeah I don't think so, Italy before England for sure
I think they mean that England are the ones who invented football.
I disagree. Despite Italy missing on two World Cups recently, they still are THE BEST Eruopean team alongside Germany, and they were the absolute best for many decades after England fell from grace in the 1950s, it wasn't until 98 when Germany finally became more consistent than Italy was. And despite going through a rough time with all due respect to the inventors of football I don't think England can compare if you eliminate their XIX century dominance, they've just been astonishingly unlucky recently.
@@BurnRoddy yes I agree Italy are up there
I’m Uruguayan Australian and as soon as I could walk, I was given to football. I played at high levels here in Australia without even trying that hard. It comes to us naturally it’s in our blood
Thank you very much for this video!! Uruguayan players are guardians of a rich legacy. Each player of LA CELESTE feels that has the responsability to keep the legend alive
We Brazilians have great admiration for Uruguayan players. Since pretty much ever Uruguayans have displayed their talent in Brazilian domestic football and most clubs have a few Uruguayan legends on their history. From Gremio's Hugo de Leon to Internacional's Aguirregaray, from Santos's Rodolfo Rodrigues to Botafogo's Sergio Abreu. São Paulo's trio of Pedro Rocha in the 1970s, Dario Pereyra in the 1980s and Diego Lugano in the 2000's, as well as more recently Mathias Vina for Palmeiras and Giorgian de Arrascaeta for both Cruzeiro and Flamengo. Around here, uruguayans are known for being always players who will give everything for the team having great work ethics and a mesmerizing will to win matches and tournaments.
Uruguayan Football is DEFINITELY underrated.
I loved Cavanis stint at United no matter what anyone else says. And i also hope Pellistri makes it at at high level in Europe if not at United then somewhere else. These players love what they are doing and no one can take that away from them.
I think Cavani's impact con Man U was undermined beacause of the arrival of Cristiano
Do you remember that goal that was a long lost ball and Cavani was the only was that running to get it, he stoped the ball to go out and passed back to someone score? That was pure GARRA CHARRUA. As a ManUtd fan since a kid I wanted Cavani to stay, cause right now ManU needs some garra, but hey, at least we keep Pellistri, that guy is gonna be a beast.
Genial video, con citas hasta de Galeano. Uruguay es el tipo de selección de fútbol q a cualquiera q le guste el deporte no pueden odiar.
Population size to success ratio makes uruguay the best ever team in history. 2 world cups, most wins in the copa America.
Amazing to see people recognise my small, brilliant nation. VAMOS LA CELESTE 🇺🇾🇺🇾
Other modern great and successful Uruguayan footballers worth mentioning: Recoba, Montero, Godìn. At the moment Valverde and Nunez seem to be the rising superstars with the first already winning plenty.
Don't forget Lugano too!
@@jiefifa4210 Don't forget Arrascaeta.
@@caiogobbi3688 *Arrascaneta
@@caiogobbi3688 Don't forget also Araujo, Bentancur, Facu Torres, el Canario etc.
@@jiefifa4210 facu torres y el canario jajajaj
Damn, I was just about to ask Tifo to do a video on Uruguay after their match this week. They seriously look good. Tifo read my mind.
URUGUAY CARAJOO
I can't find the stat right now but FIFA showed that for every 100 years of having a football national team, countries score on average 1.5 more goals per game. Uruguay has a team almost 150 years old...
And it's a country of 3 million!
We don't have history we have football 😍
I love how you ignored to mention Italy at the beginning of the video. I mean, 4 World Cup Wins, 2 European Cups, and countless finals appearances, but what do I know? I do agree that Uruguay has had a formidable team and some great players over the years.
seeing this type of content is what i like about this channel though it was during the old days way long before i was born it just moves me.
with young countries been recognized
keep it up TIFO
I taught this video was going to be about Kwara from Napoli. The wonderkid from Georgia.
Who knows. It could've been another video of Ibrahim Sangare.
@KangmasTris Norway for sure with the 16yo Schjrlderup who is meant to be amazing too, not quite Roony from Sweden though. Scanda football is exploding right now.
@@Ryan-ys2bq Too bad we consistently choke EVERY somewhat important match we have ever played in international competition (and seemingly cant produce a goalkeeper able to make a save (or even find a club).
lmao
@The LIM Report title is not exactly fitting though
The football system we have for kids from 5 to 12 yo is one of the biggest reasons for our success. We call it 'baby futbol', kids get used to play very tense, competitive and agressive football from a very young age
'Soccer in Sunlight and Shadow' is a must read
Thanks for dedicating a video to Uruguay. Great content!
Uruguay are the first ever World Cup Champions and has produced great players like Suarez, Cavani, Forlan, Godin, Valverde to name a few. They take pride for their country and will fight till the end regardless of the outcome. That's why most countries have to be at their best to face Uruguay.
¡Uruguay noma! 🇺🇾
We couldn’t do much in this World Cup unfortunately, but I’m sure we’ll be even stronger during Copa America 2024 and World Cup 2026
I hope bro I hope🇺🇾
If Uruguay can find itself a decent head coach; it should be a force in 2024 Copa America and the 2026 world cup.
Valverde is in the top 10 midfielders already and just keeps getting better. And Bentancur is a very solid and capable midfielder to compliment him and should be reaching his peak in the next couple of years. Nunez should be one of the top strikers in the next couple of years. And at the back should be Coates anchoring with his experience & skill alongside the incredible prospect Ronald Araujo supported by other strong defenders (most likely Vina and Olivera). And Uruguay has some very exciting prospects coming up like striker Facundo Pellistri and midfielder Juan Manuel Sanabria.
When u see an Uruguayan player you know that u watch a real man playing football
Grinta power and desir to win even if they play for clubs
Love this country
Amazing historical video yet again Tifo. Bravo!
To some, it's a myth why Uruguayan football has been so successful but contrary to what is said at 2:20, it truly is a national obsession. Nearly every Uruguayan is born with a ball at their feet and even those who don't watch football in Uruguay know the magnitude of the sport and what it means to the entire country.
If this video was longer, it could have explained the mythical "Garra Charrua" - the resilient attitude that has driven Uruguayan footballing success for so long. If you've seen the FIFATV video about the 2010 match vs Ghana, I've spoken about how that match exemplifies Garra Charrua.
Thanks Tifo Football for spotlighting our tiny football-crazed nation.
My father likes to tell the story of el Maracanazo of 1950. He was a young boy and he said that when they won the country errupted like nothing hes ever seen before or since he saw grown men crying. But let me tell you, Uruguayans love Brazilians there is def a special bond there, its like a brotherly love. Thier relationship with Argentina is different, its a bit more fiesty.
I always marvelled and admired at how Uruguay consistently performs competently at the international stage (the anti-China / anti-India if you will). The historical context is fascinating. Superb video as always
Why is India and China in your comment?
@@RRaymer China and India have a large population but never perform well, the opposite of Uruguay.
Yes, football isn't their favorite sport but what he said isn't wrong.
@@RRaymer India and China have over a Billion people yet they can’t even manage 1 top class player capable of playing in a top 5 league!
@@timboslice8559 Probably because China and India don’t invest in football talent. Every country has different interests in sports and where they push people towards. I believe India are the best in cricket, probably because the government invest billions in the IPL league and it’s the most popular and watched sport in the country. China have some of the best gymnasts in the world, they have built thousands of gymnasiums across the country with sponsorships paying people to train constantly for the olympics. It really depends on investment, upbringing to push people into different sports, population is not really relevant.
@@RRaymer yeah, we know, thats the point
Nicely done. Although no one keeps Uruguay in mind when talking about candidates for the WP. Ever. Those glorious days are sadly gone, unfortunately.
Cheers from Uruguay!
Stay tuned💙
Eduardo Galeano quote!! NICE!!! Soccer in Sun and Shadow is a very pleasant read.
Adoro Uruguay, todo mi amor y admiracion desde Barcelona
As a Korean, the World Cup stage has so many storylines: Korea/Uruguay 2010 rematch, Korea/Portugal 2002 rematch, and the Ghana/Uruguay 2010 rematch. It'll be a fun and exciting group.
Will there be the match fixing though?
@@Ryan-ys2bq gotta ask Qatar about that one
One of the best Korean team since 02 with Son on his best form.
Oh, there's Uruguay/Portugal 2018 rematch as well lmao
@@jzlnz 02 saw some great match fixing
I love everything about these videos. The animations, the narration, the facts, the directness, and the old-fasionedness. Just perfect.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for this greatly made video. In a moment when some of our players are already too old and the rest is inexperienced, our hearts bleed because we can't give 100%
But this video is healing, really! I have already shared it with friends and family, all living too much stress these days.
Thank you again, new sub, Adriana 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
to me it seems uruguay's relationship to football is like New Zealand's relationship to rugby.
Very good analogy. Now I want to watch a video on New Zealand's love for rugby.
uruguay is, proportionally, the most successful national team and the biggest exporter of talent, and their two main clubs in peñarol and nacional are historically in the same league as boca, river, são paulo or santos, to name a few of our continent's giants. absolutely in contention for the title of the true home of football, alongside argentina, england, germany and us brazilians.
Really well written, nice job, Seb!
Thank you very much for this video my friend. Cheers from Uruguay!!! 🍻