At the 2022 World Cup, Uruguay will take on South Korea in the first group game. Stars like Luis Suárez, Federico Valverde and Heung-min Son get to show what they have got right away. In this article, we look ahead to the Uruguay – South Korea fixture and give you our prediction to help you bet. In addition, we look at the odds to see who is the bookmakers’ favourite.
Uruguay World Cup 2022 – Latest Team News and Statistics
These are no longer the years when Uruguay will simply kick it far at the World Cup. Still, it is and always will be a country to be reckoned with. This year too, the team boasts a number of strong players. The experienced Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani are still part of the squad, but there are also new arrivals with Darwin Núñez (Liverpool) and Federico Valverde (Real Madrid).
Uruguay finished third in South America in World Cup qualifying. Only Brazil and Argentina did better. The Uruguayan team finished just two points above Ecuador, which joins the Netherlands in the group stage of the World Cup.
At the 2018 World Cup, Uruguay managed to reach the quarterfinals. They dealt with Saudi Arabia, Russia and Egypt in the group stage. Portugal was then the opponent in the eighth final and Uruguay won that game too (2-1). Edinson Cavani was the hero then with two goals. One round later it went wrong against France, who later became world champions.
South Korea World Cup 2022 – Latest Team News and Statistics
South Korea finished second behind Iran in the third qualifying round. This is how the country qualified for the 2022 World Cup. The country tallied 23 points in 10 matches by winning seven times, drawing twice and losing once. It only lost in the last qualifying match, to the United Arab Emirates.
In 2018, South Korea was also in the World Cup. Then the country was grouped with Sweden, Mexico and Germany. South Korea finished as number three in Group F, which was higher than Germany, as that country finished at the very bottom. Sweden and Mexico eventually advanced to the knockout phase. South Korea won 2-0 over Germany at the 2018 World Cup through goals in the 92nd and 96th minutes.
Heung-Min Son is the absolute star of South Korea’s selection. The Tottenham Hotspur striker has been for quite some time. The shock was therefore great when rumours circulated that he could not play at the World Cup. In the Champions League match against Marseille, Son broke something near his eye socket. The South Korean will therefore also play with a mask at the World Cup.
Uruguay – South Korea Previous encounters
In 2018, South Korea won 2-1 over Uruguay in the last meeting between them. That was a friendly match. In 2010, the countries last faced each other at a major tournament, namely the World Cup. In that match, Uruguay was the strongest (2-1) thanks to two goals by Suárez. He became the hero, as his goals allowed Uruguay to advance to the quarterfinals of the World Cup.
Uruguay – South Korea, World Cup 2022: Betting Tip & Odds
Uruguay and South Korea are actually almost always regulars at the World Cup. In most cases, Uruguay throws the highest odds of these two countries. This year, the Uruguayans also seem to be the top side with some big stars. With Portugal and Ghana as their other opponents, it is important to start well. We expect Uruguay to do just that and win against South Korea. This betting tip yields odds of 4/5.
- Tip: Uruguay win
- Odd: 4/5 at bookmaker NetBet
- Risk assessment: medium
- Recommended stake: 6/10