The striker has disappeared from Uruguay’s national team call-ups.
Canobbio’s great moment in a Fluminense shirt has reignited a topic that seemed buried since the Copa América: the broken relationship with Marcelo Bielsa. After scoring two goals in the 6-0 thrashing of São Paulo and securing Fluminense’s qualification for the 2026 Libertadores Cup, the striker stated that he is ready to return to the Uruguayan national team and that he has “already forgiven” the coach, responsible for his exclusion from the national team since 2024. “I am willing to forgive, and I have already forgiven, inside and out, the entire situation. Including the man who is in charge there, who is the one who decides,” said Canobbio, when asked about the possibility of returning to wear the Celeste jersey, which he reinforced: It’s up to the people in charge there to decide. I always work to be available for my country. I’ve never given up. I have a lot to give to my national team, I’m very young. My cycle isn’t over yet.
The crisis that sidelined the striker from the Uruguayan national team began at the 2024 Copa América, marked by a tense atmosphere between Bielsa and part of the squad. During the third-place match, Canobbio, then a player for Athletico-PR, was caught on camera kicking cups and bottles after leaving the field in anger. A few weeks later, in an interview with the program Minuto 1, he confirmed his discontent.
At the time, he accused Bielsa of “constant disrespect” and recounted an episode from 2023 that he claimed was decisive: during a video review, the coach held him responsible for a result, even though the player considered that he had performed well.
“I’m respectful, but there came a point when I snapped. I wanted to talk, and it wasn’t the best thing to do. I stayed quiet so as not to tarnish the group, which came from a third-place finish. I respected every decision and followed mine. I was approached, but I preferred to remain silent to continue my path, but now I have the opportunity to express myself,” he stated at the time.
Since then, he has never been called up again. The discomfort also affected important figures, such as Luis Suárez, who, after retiring from the national team, revealed the total estrangement between Bielsa and the players.
In a recent statement to the press, Bielsa acknowledged some of his problems with the players and took responsibility for the current state of the Uruguayan national team.
I always say one thing: I am toxic. Being around me makes the person I’m with worse. There are toxic people who only see mistakes, who are always correcting, who are demanding, who are never satisfied, and who only talk about work. I experience this as karma. This behavior is based on fear. Fear because we don’t enjoy winning. We fear losing much more than we enjoy winning, ask any coach.
Current form at Fluminense strengthens the argument for another chance.
Now, more than a year after the split, Canobbio is experiencing his best moment in Brazil. A regular starter under Zubeldía, he has become a key player for the team both offensively and defensively. His performance has boosted his confidence, allowing him to argue that his absence from the national team is not related to a lack of performance. I never argued with anyone within the group. I never had a problem with anyone. I always focused on my team and always cheered for the national team.