The Anthem
Himno Nacional de Uruguay
▶ Listen on YouTube ↗“¡Orientales, la Patria o la tumba! / Easterners, the Homeland or the grave!”
At over five minutes, it is among the longest national anthems in the world.
The Legends
Names that echo
Luis Suárez
Forward · 2000s–20s
Uruguay's record scorer; brilliant, ruthless and endlessly controversial.
Diego Forlán
Forward · 2000s–10s
Player of the Tournament at the 2010 World Cup.
Enzo Francescoli
Forward · 1980s–90s
'El Príncipe'; the elegant idol who inspired a young Zinedine Zidane.
Fun Facts
Worth knowing
- 01
Uruguay hosted and won the very first World Cup, in 1930 — its stadium was called the Estadio Centenario.
- 02
With a population of barely 3.4 million, it has won the World Cup twice — a feat unmatched by any small nation.
- 03
Its national anthem is one of the longest in the world, clocking in at over five minutes.
At the World Cup
The story so far
The original world champions. Tiny in population but giant in spirit, Uruguay won the first World Cup at home and shocked Brazil in 1950's 'Maracanazo' — and remains fiercely competitive.
The Maracanazo
Uruguay silenced 200,000 Brazilians at the Maracanã to win the trophy in one of football's greatest upsets.
The first champions
Uruguay hosted and won the inaugural World Cup, beating Argentina in the final.
Group Stage