June 28, 2026
Uruguay exited the World Cup meekly after the group stage, and the team's exit from North America reportedly didn't go according to plan either.
The Uruguayan football federation canceled the squad's scheduled charter flight from the team's training base in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to the home capital city of Montevideo, according to multiple reports in the Uruguayan media. Instead, the players were left to take commercial flights home.
Ranked No. 16 by FIFA ahead of the World Cup, Uruguay were the top-rated team among those that failed to advance to the round of 32.
La Celeste had to rally for a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia in the Group H opener, then squandered a second-half lead in a 2-2 tie against World Cup newcomer Cape Verde. In the group finale, a goalkeeping mistake saw Uruguay lose 1-0 to Spain on Friday.
