Marcelo Bielsa has never been one for convention, and his official FIFA portrait for the 2026 World Cup has done little to change that reputation. The Uruguay coach stared downwards rather than into the camera, prompting a wave of media speculation — and a characteristically blunt response from the man himself.

After Uruguay's opening 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia in Miami on Monday, journalists pressed Bielsa on whether the pose was a deliberate statement. He was having none of it.

"I don't have to give any explanation — the picture was taken the way it was taken. I'm not a model," he said.

FIFA have made squad and coaching-staff photoshoots a fixture of their major tournaments over the past decade, with most participants playing up to the camera. Bielsa, it is fair to say, took a different approach.

A maverick staying true to himself

The 70-year-old Argentine has long cultivated a reputation for marching to his own beat — earning the nickname El Loco (The Crazy One) through an obsessive attention to detail, unconventional touchline habits, and tactical methods that have influenced a generation of coaches. He previously led Argentina and Chile at World Cups before taking charge of Uruguay, making this his third nation at football's biggest stage.

When a follow-up question arrived on a separate topic, Bielsa pulled the conversation back to the photoshoot, this time with a flourish of rhetorical questions.

"There is a limit in terms of what we need to explain. If I'm wearing glasses, why am I wearing glasses? You look somebody in the eye — why do you do that? There is nothing wrong about wearing glasses, or looking into somebody's eyes, or looking down," he said.

The response drew laughter but also underlined what followers of Bielsa — including those who tracked his time at Leeds United — have long known: he operates entirely on his own terms.

Cape Verde next for Uruguay

Uruguay's next group-stage fixture is against Cape Verde on Sunday at 23:00 BST. Cape Verde have caught the eye as one of the tournament's early surprise packages, and Bielsa's side will need to be sharp — regardless of how their coach poses for photographs.