Uruguayan union MUFP pays tribute to long-serving players

• Distinción MUFP is the first annual ceremony dedicated to honouring players that have had a career spanning at least 10 years

• The second edition of the event took place this week in Montevideo 

• 56 former players were awarded with the Distinction Ring

The night of Monday 2 December was a special one for Uruguayan football: at the Torre de las Telecomunicaciones in Montevideo, 56 former footballers with at least ten years of professional playing experience were honoured, among them Diego Godin and the legendary Jose Nasazzi.

The event, established in 2023 under the name Distinción MUFP, is organised annually by the Uruguayan player union together with local business people from the private sector and celebrates players by presenting them with a commemorative ring for their years dedicated to football.

"It was a very emotional night," said MUFP General Secretary Mitchell Duarte. "All the footballers were excited to be there, sharing with their children, with their families, reuniting with former team-mates and coaches, or with other players with whom they shared formative categories and then never saw them again because football took them to different places."

Two award categories were presented: the Career Distinction Ring, reserved for those who during their 10 years of professional football stood out for their effort, dedication and commitment to the sport Among those honoured were stars of Charrúa football such as Godin and Alvaro Gonzalez, also a former Celeste international.

"A lawyer or an accountant has a degree. We graduated as footballers but we don't have any recognition. This is the first one. That was the idea we had when this project was born," reflects Duarte. "In the group photo of these two years we have had champions, non-champions, players who were relegated, top scorers, top defenders.... It didn't distinguish that at all, it just celebrated the fact that they were professional footballers who developed their careers in a very good way."

The second category was the World Champion Distinction Ring, awarded posthumously to Nasazzi, hero of three historic achievements for Uruguay: the Olympic gold medals won in 1924 and 1928 and the 1930 title at the first FIFA World Cup.

From 2025, the contenders for this ring will be nominated and voted online by fans. It will be an international recognition of Uruguay in world football as representatives of the other world champion countries will gradually be integrated: Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, France, England and Italy.