Star player:
Diego Forlan

Previous appearances:
1930 (winners), 1950 (winners), 1954 (fourth place), 1962 (first round), 1966 (quarter-finals), 1970 (fourth place), 1974 (first round), 1986 (second round), 1990 (second round), 2002 (first round).

How they qualified
CONMEBOL
Bolivia (h)           5-0
Paraguay (a)        0-1
Chile (h)              2-2
Brazil (a)              1-2
Venezuela (h)       1-1
Peru (h)                6-0
Colombia (a)        1-0
Ecuador (h)           0-0
Argentina (a)         1-2
Bolivia (a)             2-2
Paraguay (h)         2-0
Chile (a)                0-0
Brazil (h)               0-4
Venezuela (a)        2-2
Peru (a)                 0-1
Colombia (h)         3-1
Ecuador (a)           2-1
Argentina (h)         0-1

Qualifying playoffs
Costa Rica (a)       1-0
Costa Rica (h)       1-1

Chances:
World Cup play-off regulars in recent years, Uruguay will be tough opponents for anyone and will be targeting a place in the last 16 though a revitalised Mexico and group 'big guns' France will be favourites to progress.

Strange but true
The country played a huge role in the development of the sport in the early 20th Century and their great teams of 1930 and 1950 changed the way the game was played. To get any Uruguayan excited, ask about that 2-1 win over Brazil in the 1950 World Cup.