India, July 3 -- Looking impassively as Uruguay unravelled, Marcelo Bielsa sat on the drinks box when Federico Valverde came off against Spain. Coach and captain ignoring each other was one of the most enduring memories of a World Cup that has seen Germany exit, Paraguay exult, Erling Haaland do Erling Haaland things, England rely on Harry Kane's poaching skills, France looking majestic and Brazil journeying from miserable to memorable in 45 minutes against Japan.

At 19th in the FIFA rankings, twice world champions Uruguay were the highest ranked team to be eliminated from the group phase. It shouldn't have happened, Bielsa said at a press conference on Tuesday. Armed with a dossier full of data, he said Uruguay ran more than all their o...