Nickname: La Celeste (The Sky Blues)
Manager: Oscar Tabarez
Previous World Cup appearances: Ten
Best finish: Winners, 1930 and 1950
Key players:
Diego Lugano (captain)
Diego Forlan
Diego Perez
Next time you're sitting down to your local pub quiz just remember that famous World Cup trivia question: "Who won the inaugural World Cup in 1930?"
The answer, of course, is Uruguay. The proud South American nation hosted the first-ever FIFA World Cup but their international pedigree, even then, was already well established: Uruguay won gold medals at both the 1924 Olympics (Paris) and 1928 (Amsterdam).
The prestige of those gold medals saw Uruguay given the honour of hosting the first ever World Cup.
Following those victories they finished fourth in 1050, made the quarter-finals in 1966, and achieved another fourth place in 1970.
Their recent World Cup history has not been so impressive. Uruguay failed to qualify for the 2006 tournament in Germany, and exited at the group stage in 2002 in Japorea.
In 2002, left-back Dario Rodriguez contributed one of the goals of the tournament with a stunning long-range volley against Denmark in a 2-1 defeat. But draws with France and Senegal sent the Uruguayans packing.
In addition to their World Cups and Olympic titles, Uruguay are fourteen times winners of the Copa America: so the Sky Blues are no strangers to winning silverware.
Having finished fifth out of ten teams in the final phase of South American qualifying, Oscar Tabarez's side went into a CONMEBOL play-off against Diego Maradona's Argentina. Their fierce contintental rivals won 1-0 on aggregate but still the door was open for Uruguay to make it to South Africa.
As a result they were pitched into yet another play-off, this time against Costa Rica. A 1-0 away victory was followed by a 1-1 draw at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo, thanks to a goal from prolific striker Sebastian Abreu, and their progress was thus assured.
Striker Diego Forlan endured a difficult period at Manchester United several seasons ago, before heading for Atletico Madrid in Spain and forming a lethal partnership with Argentinian Sergio Aguero.
Forlan is sure to be a marked man in South Africa, although his 22 goals from 60 caps (at the time of qualification) compares unfavourably to Abreu. He had an impressive record of 28 goals in 58 appearances for the Sky Blues following their play-off victory over Costa Rica.
The most notable of Uruguayan footballers of recent times would have to be Alvaro Recoba, the phenomenally gifted forward with the siege-gun left foot who occasionally lit up the Giuseppe Meazza with Inter Milan.
Diego Perez, the holding midfielder, boasted 50 caps at the time of qualification, while Luis Suarez of Ajax, at just 22, is a precocious talent up front.
Barcelona's young centre-back Martin Caceres, on loan at Juventus in the 2009-10 season, is partnered by the influential skipper Diego Lugano at the back.
Some regard Uruguay as a sleeping giant of world football: much like Spain before their triumph at the 2008 European Championships, they boast untold talent but have failed to do it justice in recent years.
If Tabarez can find the winning formula by getting this talented bunch of players to gel, then their rivals in South Africa should beware.
