It was a blessing to play with Suarez and Cavani for Uruguay. They helped raise the level of a generation that made history at the 2010 World Cup Diego Forlan recalls his role in La Celestes legendary attacking trident

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Never miss a kick-off!Signup +Join the clubGet full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in.Subscribe to our newsletterFor Uruguay - a nation of just 3.5 million people - to have one world-class attacking player is an achievement.But to have three - all plying their trade and tearing up defences at the same time - is something else entirely.But that was the situation that the South American side found themselves in at the 2010 World Cup, they were able to field a front line of Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.Article continues below You may like Playing with Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez at Manchester United was like a PlayStation game Nani on being part of the Red Devils all-action forward line When Ronaldo went off, we thought, Weve lost our best player, whats going to happen now? But at the same time it also gave us strength Nani on Portugals historic Euro 2016 win It was an immense privilege to play with Cristiano Ronaldo. Hes an extraterrestrial Marcelo on what its like to share a pitch with the Portugal icon Forlan on being part of Uruguays 2010 attacking tridentAnd rather than being a trio of big names that could not click together on the pitch, this attacking triumvirate had real chemistry, propelling La Celeste to the semi-finals.More than a decade and a half on, former Manchester United forward Forlan has recalled what it was like to play in such a devastating front line - and what the secret to their success was.Get VIP Manchester United tickets HERE with Seat Unique!Manchester United's hospitality offers comfortable, padded seating in the North West Quadrant. The package includes a concourse meal deal (hot food, drink, and snack) and the official matchday programme. Guests also receive a 10 per cent Megastore discount and non-matchday Museum entry, providing a great value, family-friendly match experience for home fans.View DealCavani sacrificed the most because he played out wide he tells FourFourTwo. Suarez and I occupied the centre.Both of them were starting to break through in Europe and it was a blessing to have them in the national team, because they helped raise the level of a generation that made history.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The trio plundered nine goals between them during the tournament, with five of these being scored by Forlan, who finished as the joint-top goalscorer in South Africa that summer.After topping a group that featured the hosts, Mexico and France, Uruguay saw off South Korea and Ghana in the knockout phase, before falling to the Netherlands in the semi-final.It remains a time that Forlan relishes looking back at.Almost unbeatable, he says of that run. We failed to qualify for 2006 in Germany, then suddenly in 2010 we were just one step from the final.Wed suffered in previous editions, missing out despite good generations of players. We wanted to bring back the excitement for the fans.Were a small country, but we showed the world how big we can be at the same time.TOPICSUruguayWorld CupJoe MewisSocial Links NavigationFor more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.With contributions fromDani Gil