Former Uruguayan soccer star Diego Forlan (C) attends a 2026 World Cup group stage match between Uruguay and Spain on June 26 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Photo by Francisco Guasco/EPA
Diego Forlan will replace Marcelo Biesla as interim coach of the Uruguay men’s national team, Uruguay Football Association president Ignacio Alonso announced.
Alonso confirmed the appointment Sunday on Uruguay’s Teledoce. He said a permanent manager will be named at the end of the year or in early 2027. Forlan also will coach Uruguay’s under-20 team.
Biesla resigned as coach of the senior team after Uruguay’s group-stage exit from the 2026 World Cup. The Uruguayans were 0-1-2 and scored just three goals at the tournament. They also failed to advance past the group stage in 2022, when they were coached by Diego Alonso.
Forlan is to coach Uruguay in upcoming friendlies in September, October and November. The former striker at Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan scored 36 goals over 112 appearances for the Uruguayan national team.
He also won Golden Ball honors at the 2010 World Cup, when he led the Uruguayans to the semifinals.
Fans go all out in support at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Fans celebrate the first United States goal as the United States faces Belgium in the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the FIFA Fan Zone area located on the National Mall in Washington on July 6, 2026. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
