Federico Valverde
#15 · Midfielder · age 27
Star player; vice-captain. [unverified] role.
93
WC26 rating
- Recent form
- 67
- Career peak
- 86
- League level
- 90
- Competition pedigree
- 98
- International pedigree
- 93
- Longevity
- 65
Independent rating — league strength (Opta-anchored) × competition tier × position-normalized output. Not affiliated with EA or FIFA.
Career by season
Source: transfermarkt · fetched 2026-05-29
Bielsa’s Uruguay is a high-press, high-running side — and that is only possible because Valverde is the player who can physically lead it from midfield. He plays everywhere: anchor in front of the back four when needed, right-side runner when Núñez stretches the line, central No. 8 in possession. He is, by some distance, the best player in Group H — yes, including everyone in Spain.
Whether Uruguay are genuine contenders or merely a difficult round-of-16 opponent depends on whether Valverde can produce knockout-stage decisive moments. He has the profile to do it; this is his tournament to define his international legacy.
Strengths
- 100-yard sprints at full intensity for 90 minutes
- right-footed shooting from distance
- press triggering and recovery
- tactical intelligence in positional rotations
Recent form
Real Madrid regular through 2025-26 across multiple positions; among the most-influential midfielders in La Liga by underlying numbers.
His Champions League title in 2022 came at age 23 — his 2024 final goal contribution and Bielsa's installation as Uruguay manager arrived in the same calendar year, making him the unambiguous symbol of Uruguay's post-Suárez/Cavani transition.