Rodrigo Bentancur’s World Cup is over, but the timing of Uruguay’s exit now hands Roberto De Zerbi one of the first practical calls of Tottenham’s summer.
Tottenham confirmed that Bentancur played the full 90 minutes as Uruguay were beaten 1-0 by Spain in Guadalajara, a result that left Marcelo Bielsa’s side third in Group H on two points and outside the last-32 picture.
Pedro Porro, the Spurs teammate on the other side of the fixture, was an unused substitute as Spain topped the group with seven points from nine. For Tottenham, the split is useful: one senior midfielder returns earlier than planned, while a newly secured full-back remains in a high-level knockout environment.
Pedro Porro and Spain top Group H and are through to the knockout stages!
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 27, 2026
Bentancur Return Changes The Midfield Calendar
The instinct is to view Bentancur’s elimination as a disappointment, and for the player it clearly is. Uruguay needed a positive result to extend their tournament; instead, Bentancur leaves after a demanding group stage and with another 90-minute load in his legs.
From a Spurs perspective, though, the football department now gains time. De Zerbi’s midfield rebuild has already been framed by external targets, internal development and the need to decide who can absorb his possession-heavy demands quickly. Bentancur returning before the deeper knockout rounds gives Tottenham earlier access to a senior player who can be assessed physically, tactically and mentally before the sharper phase of pre-season.
That matters because Bentancur is not a simple squad body. At his best, he offers press resistance, line-breaking carries and the ability to receive under pressure from centre-backs. Those are De Zerbi traits. The issue is whether he can sustain that rhythm across a Premier League season after a campaign that repeatedly asked Spurs to reset their midfield balance.
ReadTottenham had already looked at the Bentancur and Porro World Cup subplot before the decisive Group H meeting. The new angle is sharper: Bentancur is now back on Tottenham’s clock, not Uruguay’s.
Porro’s Progress Gives Spurs A Different Certainty
Porro’s night carried a different message. He did not play against Uruguay, but Spain’s progress keeps him training inside an elite tournament structure while his Tottenham future is already settled.
That distinction is important. Spurs announced earlier this month that Porro had signed a new long-term contract, with Johan Lange describing his renewal as an important summer priority and De Zerbi praising his energy, intensity and intelligence. The club also noted his squad-leading 47 appearances last season and 152 total appearances since arriving in January 2023.
Porro is therefore not a problem to solve. He is a pillar to preserve. The challenge for De Zerbi is managing the runway after Spain’s tournament ends, especially because the right-back role in his system demands more than width and recovery pace. It often requires midfield occupation, angle creation and quick decisions when the first press is invited.
De Zerbi Gets An Earlier Test Of Control
The broader Spurs picture is now about sequencing. Bentancur’s return gives De Zerbi an earlier read on one midfield option; Porro’s continuation delays a key full-back’s club reintegration; Djed Spence and Pape Matar Sarr remain tied to their own international outcomes.
For a coach hired on a long-term contract to impose a more ambitious style, that staggered summer is not a minor logistical note. Tottenham’s first tactical gains will come from clarity: who can learn the automatisms early, who needs recovery, and where the club must still buy rather than wait.
There is also a market consequence. If Bentancur quickly convinces staff that he can anchor or connect midfield phases in De Zerbi’s structure, Tottenham gain leverage in negotiations elsewhere. If the opposite is true, the club will know before the window reaches its most expensive weeks.
Bentancur’s World Cup exit has removed one variable. De Zerbi now has to turn that extra time into a cleaner Tottenham midfield plan.
