Uruguay played out a disappointing 2-2 draw against Cape Verde at World Cup 2026 and Manchester United's Manuel Ugarte was centre stage
Manuel Ugarte of Uruguay gestures during the 2026 FIFA World Cup First Stage Group H match between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay
Manuel Ugarte and Uruguay suffered another World Cup 2026 setback against Cape Verde(Image: Getty)
View 3 Images
Manuel Ugarte has been reprimanded by media in his native Uruguay after a 2-2 draw against Cape Verde dented their World Cup 2026 knockout hopes. The Manchester United midfielder's nation had already been held in their opening match and sit on just two points.
Qualifying from Group H did not seem a tall order on paper for Uruguay, but Marcelo Bielsa's squad now find themselves on the verge of a premature exit. They could not break down Saudi Arabia and drew 1-1 when they met last Monday. On Sunday, it was a resilient Cape Verde side that proved a worthy adversary.
The African archipelago went ahead through a stunning Kevin Pina free-kick before two late first-half goals ensured Bielsa's men entered the break in the lead. Helio Varela earned Cape Verde a point in the 61st minute to the dismay of Uruguay.
Ugarte, whose future at Old Trafford is up in the air following a lacklustre campaign, anchored his team's midfield until the 70th minute when he was substituted. But the media in Uruguay have issued a scathing review of his performance, describing him as a massive weakness and claiming he should have been withdrawn earlier.
Montevideo Portal
The United midfielder, who will likely leave this summer, failed to win a single one of his five ground duels against Cape Verde and Montevideo Portal pulled no punches in assessing his game.
Manuel Ugarte (5) of Uruguay in action during the 2026 FIFA World Cup First Stage Group H match between Uruguay and Cape Verde at the Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium) in Miami Gardens
Ugarte was replaced by Nicolas de la Cruz in the 70th minute(Image: Getty)
View 3 Images
In its player ratings, the publication penned: "Manuel Ugarte. Very sloppy with the ball. Against an opponent with very physical and fast players, he struggled a lot.
"When they dropped back, he wasn't the right person to control the ball, which made him uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the cross that led to the second goal came from his feet.
"Once again, he was one of the team's biggest weaknesses and should have been substituted much earlier. He's not there, he just wasn't there."
El Observador
Another outlet, El Observador, was also quick to highlight Ugarte's poor showing, focusing more on the general hopelessness of a Uruguay side that now likely need a result against Spain to qualify from the group stage.
Manuel Ugarte #5 of Uruguay speaks with teammates during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Uruguay and Cabo Verde at Miami Stadium on June 21, 2026 in Miami Gardens
The United midfielder was lambasted(Image: Getty)
View 3 Images
One report reads: "At 30 minutes, Mathias Olivera began to drift wide on the left to create space. Two minutes later, he sent in a cross that, after a deflection, ended with a weak volley from Ugarte. The television broadcast showed Luis Suarez in one of the boxes holding his head and the crowd began to grow impatient."
A second report added: "Zero ideas, zero football, zero creativity. Nothing was coming out of the midfield. Uruguay was an anarchic team. Everyone wanted to contribute, but without the help of a team-mate.
"Bielsa's team once again relied on that great tendency towards improvisation, something very dangerous and totally unnecessary in football. Thus, Uruguay then displayed a compulsion to repeat itself. It was a kind of Sisyphus myth: lifting the stone, only for it to roll back down."