Flamengo's three Uruguayan club-mates are gearing up to represent their country at the FIFA World Cup
Guillermo Varela and Giorgian De Arrascaeta featured at the 2018 and 2022 editions, while Nicolas De la Cruz made his competition debut at Qatar 2022
Shared traditions and a close bond have helped the trio bring a taste of Uruguay to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo are almost 2,500 kilometres apart. Nevertheless, Giorgian de Arrascaeta, Nicolas de la Cruz and Guillermo Varela have found a way to feel at home at Flamengo. Growing ever more in sync both on and off the pitch, the Uruguayans are ready to take their friendship to the , where they hope to replicate the success they have enjoyed with the reigning CONMEBOL Libertadores champions and FIFA Intercontinental Cup™ runners-up.
“We already knew each other from before, going back to my first call-ups in 2019 and 2020, and we’ve built a great relationship on and off the pitch,” De la Cruz told FIFA, before reflecting on Uruguay’s group-stage exit at Qatar 2022™. “We hope this time will be a little different from 2022 and that we can reach the knockout stage.”
“It’s always important to have team-mates from the same country [at club level], so you can keep your culture alive,” said De Arrascaeta, “having Uruguayans in the squad is something really special.”
The former Cruzeiro attacking midfielder was the first of Flamengo’s Uruguayan triumvirate to arrive, back in 2019. But not having any countrymen alongside him was not a problem; he adapted quickly to life in Rio and has since become the player with the joint-most titles in Mengão history, along with Bruno Henrique.
Already a firm fan favourite, he was joined in the second half of 2022 by an old acquaintance, right-back Guillermo Varela, who became his first compatriot at the Rubro-Negro. The pair had remained friends ever since playing together for the Uruguay team that finished runners-up at the FIFA U-20 World Cup™ in Türkiye back in 2013.
“It’s a relationship that goes back many years. I met ‘Arrasca’ while playing for the U-20s, and Nico later in the senior national team. Now that has grown stronger at Flamengo,” the former Manchester United man explained.
De Arrascaeta and Varela lined up for Uruguay at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, and the Flamengo trio all competed at Qatar 2022. Just over a year on from the tournament in Qatar, the Mengão signed De la Cruz from River Plate.
When he arrived in Rio, he already had the perfect guides waiting for him. “Even before I got here, once I knew I was coming, they’d already told me about the city and the club. They helped me settle in to everyday life and showed me a few places to visit. They were very important in making my family feel welcome,” the midfielder recalled.
At 28, De la Cruz is the youngest of the three, but he still takes the lead in certain areas. For example, you will always find him holding the tongs when they get together for a traditional Uruguayan barbecue.
Gatherings around the grill are among the traditions they try to maintain to feel a little closer to home, along with drinking maté and playing rounds of the card game truco. “Sometimes Nico makes torta frita as well,” De Arrascaeta added. “Being surrounded by our friends and families is always important.”
After the final whistle blew in the 2025 CONMEBOL Libertadores final at the Estadio Monumental U in Lima, Peru, the trio were quick to seek out a Uruguayan flag. Every Flamengo title brings the same ritual: a photo with the trophy and their national colours, capturing their pride in representing their country with distinction even at club level.
Continental champions together at Flamengo, De Arrascaeta, De la Cruz and Varela now have their eyes on an even bigger prize at this year’s global showpiece in North America, where the Celeste are set to face Saudi Arabia, Cabo Verde and Spain in Group H. They know the size of the challenge ahead, but the bond they have built at Flamengo gives them another reason to believe.
“Definitely. We get on very well with all our Uruguay team-mates, but it’s always special to be alongside Nico, Guille and Mati [Matias Vina, the River Plate full-back], who also had a spell here,” assured De Arrascaeta. “We have a good relationship, and that World Cup dream is something we all share.”
The No10 is set to appear at his third World Cup, as is Varela, who looked ahead with hope to what is likely to be his swansong at the competition. “It’ll surely be my last World Cup. I’m getting on a bit now, so I’m going to enjoy it as much as I can,” the full-back revealed. “I hope we can take Uruguay all the way – that’s everyone’s objective. I know it’s a tall order, but it’s not impossible.”
Sources: FIFA Official
