🤦‍♂️An inexplicable sub: Valverde’s exit on everyone’s mind | OneFootball

Uruguay exits in the group stage for the second World Cup in a row, but this time controversy stole all the attention.

Even before kickoff, there was already plenty of talk about conflict between Marcelo Bielsa and his squad, and the substitutions offered yet another sign of it.

Before the hour mark, "El Loco" decided to take off Fede Valverde, the captain of this team, and after the match he only explained that he did it to add more presence in the box.

Without a doubt, it was a substitution that will stay in everyone’s memory.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 Florencia Tan Jun - 2026 Getty Images