Federico Valverde won't be joining Uruguay for their upcoming international friendlies, and it's not a punishment or injury scare. Softfootball understands that the Real Madrid midfielder has been granted rest, thanks to a mutual agreement between him and national team coach Marcelo Bielsa. It's a sensible call, one that comes at just the right time for both club and country.
After weeks of nonstop action in La Liga and the Champions League, Valverde's energy levels have been stretched thin with the midfielder even needing to publicly defend his commitment to the capital-based club in a social media outburst . Real Madrid's schedule has been brutal, and with El Clasico against Barcelona just around the corner, a short breather feels nothing short of necessary.
According to Fabrizio Romano via his official X account , the decision by the Uruguay camp was easy with the team already booking their ticket for the 2026 World Cup, these friendlies against the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan don't carry real pressure. So Bielsa decided to give some of his top stars a bit of a timeout.