Not only were Uruguay the host of the first World Cup in 1930, they were the subsequent winners. They were also the winner of the 1950 tournament when they beat the hosts Brazil 2-1. Other good results for Uruguay at the World Cup were finishing 4th in 1970 and 2010, and 5th in 2018.

Uruguay will be playing their 15th FIFA World Cup in 2026. They have won the FIFA World Cup twice - 1930 and 1950.

Uruguay World Cup Results by Year

Year Host Country Result Key Match
1930 Uruguay Champions Beat Argentina 4-2 (Final)
1950 Brazil Champions Beat Brazil 2-1 (Final Group)
1954 Switzerland Semi-finals (4th) Lost 2-4 to Hungary
1962 Chile Group Stage Did not advance from Group 1
1966 England Quarter-finals Lost 0-4 to Germany
1970 Mexico Semi-finals (4th) Lost 1-3 to Brazil
1974 West Germany Group Stage Did not advance from Group 3
1986 Mexico Round of 16 Lost 0-1 to Argentina
1990 Italy Round of 16 Lost 0-2 to Italy
2002 South Korea/Japan Group Stage Did not advance from Group A
2010 South Africa Semi-finals (4th) Lost 2-3 to Netherlands
2014 Brazil Round of 16 Lost 0-2 to Colombia
2018 Russia Quarter-finals Lost 0-2 to France
2022 Qatar Group Stage Did not advance from Group H
2026 USA/Canada/Mexico Qualified 15th World Cup appearance
"The trivia surrounding Uruguay's World Cup history reveals fascinating stories that go beyond the results, from one-handed goal scorers to players sneaking out of team hotels."
— Robert Wood, founder of Topend Sports

Trivia

  • Uruguay is by far the smallest nation (in terms of population size) to win a World Cup.
  • Uruguayan goalkeeper Antonio Mazzali returned home before kick-off of the 1930 finals, as he had sneaked out from the hotel without permission. The Uruguayan team had been isolated in a Montevideo hotel for almost eight weeks before Mazzali sneaked out one night to visit his family. Mazzali was a member of Uruguay's Olympic gold medal teams in 1924 and 1928, but he had never appeared in any World Cup finals.
  • Hector Castro, who scored Uruguay's winning goal in the 1930 Final, had only one hand. He had lost one hand and part of his arm in a childhood accident.
  • After winning the World Cup in 1930, the Uruguayan players were treated as national heroes, and each player was presented with a plot of land and a new house by the municipality of Montevideo.
  • Uruguay had five players sent off during its failed campaign to reach the 2006 World Cup - which was the most for any nation in the qualifying round.
  • In Uruguay's final group game in 2014 against Italy, controversial player Luis Suárez was accused of biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini and was banned by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee for nine international matches and so missed the rest of the World Cup.