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Diego Forlán has been officially unveiled as the new head coach of Uruguay, taking over from Marcelo Bielsa following the team's group stage exit from the 2026 World Cup. The former striker will assume interim charge of the senior national team and will also be responsible for the U-20 squad.
His appointment comes in the wake of Marcelo Bielsa's tumultuous departure, whose tenure concluded with a disappointing performance at the last World Cup, where Uruguay finished behind Cape Verde and Spain in their group.
Forlán will undertake a dual role. According to Ignacio Alonso, president of the AUF, the new coach will be tasked with preparing the U-20 national team for their World Cup in 2027, set to be held in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Concurrently, he will lead the senior national team in eight upcoming friendly matches, scheduled between September and March.
"He will face the challenge of leading the U-20 national team and eight senior national team matches between September and March," Alonso clarified regarding Forlán's new responsibilities.
Forlán's distinguished playing career for "La Celeste" is seen as a strong factor in his selection. He stands as the third-highest goalscorer in the national team's history, with 36 goals in 112 appearances, trailing only Luis Suárez (69) and Edinson Cavani (58). His career highlight came at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where he guided Uruguay to the semi-finals and was awarded the tournament's Golden Ball. The following year, he clinched the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, scoring two goals in the final against Paraguay.
Regarding his coaching career, Forlán had a brief stint with Peñarol in 2020, where he recorded four wins, three draws, and four losses in eleven matches. In 2021, he managed Atenas de San Carlos in the Uruguayan second division, achieving four victories, five draws, and three defeats in twelve games.
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