Bielsa rates Valverde as the best of his type in the world.
He said of Uruguay's skipper: “He plays through the middle of the pitch just as easily as he does on the right or left side of the midfield. In the middle, he plays deep, in front of the holding midfielder, close to the attacking midfielder, and he plays all three positions without any problem.
"He’s played as a full-back and a winger, and what really caught everyone’s attention was what he did as a winger."
Bielsa also said of Valverde's versatility: "He created decisive plays down the right flank, but we've also seen him making runs and assists down the left. That's what makes him different from Pedri and Vitinha; neither of them has that versatility.
"He's among the best in the world, no doubt about it."
On the Ballon d'Or, Bielsa added, "Awards are based on individual performance within the team, the teammates you play for, and the titles you win.
"He has all the qualities I mentioned, but he also faces a lot of competition, even within his own team. It's difficult to compete with, for example, Vinicius and (Kylian) Mbappé.":