The Uruguayan team has arrived in the US after a flight delay before the World Cup opener | World Cup 2026

Uruguay will arrive in the US less than 24 hours before their match against Saudi Arabia.

Uruguay’s national team has arrived in Miami after facing travel problems ahead of their World Cup opener in the United States.

The team and supporters arrived in Miami on Sunday, less than 24 hours before the start of their Group H match against Saudi Arabia.

Recommended Articles

list of 4 itemsend of series

Uruguay blamed FIFA for their trouble flying from Mexico to the US. They are also said to face the risk of being penalized if their head coach and captain were unable to attend the mandatory press conference on the eve of the match.

The original plane was reportedly not allowed to take off due to management issues, including some missing documents, and officials were forced to prepare a new plane.

FIFA oversees all travel related to the 48-member National Committee.

Uruguay is training in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and held a practice session there on Sunday. When the traveling delegation arrived at the airport in Cancun, about 72km (45 miles), they learned that the group was not allowed to enter the US.

The Uruguay Football Association (AUF) said a second plane from South Florida was on its way to pick up the team, while the players were waiting at a resort outside Cancun until it arrived.

“Due to problems beyond the AUF’s control, the departure from Mexico has been delayed,” the union said in a statement. “The players are resting at the hotel. The new departure time set by FIFA is 4:15pm (21:15 GMT).

FIFA later issued a statement saying: “Due to a flight permit error in Mexico, the Uruguayan national team’s flight from Cancun to Miami was delayed.

“The airline apologizes for the inconvenience caused. FIFA has been in close contact with the Uruguayan national team throughout the delay and has worked closely with the airport and its partners to help expedite the process and minimize disruption to the team’s flow.”

Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa and team captain Jose Maria Gimenez missed a press conference scheduled for Sunday in South Florida because of the incident. The press conference was pushed back to 8pm Eastern Time (00:00 GMT), and the coach and captain were present.

“The trip went well; we gained a lot and saw a lot,” Gimenez said in Spanish. “We took advantage of a hotel break (in Cancun).”

Bielsa was asked what disruption the flight snafu has caused his team.

“No, the escape does not pose a problem,” said Bielsa, before changing the subject to focus on his team’s preparations for the Uruguayan capital Montevideo and Mexico’s Playa del Carmen.

“In Montevideo, the players had a stable role, and they had family time, which I felt was important.”

Uruguay and Saudi Arabia will play their first Group H match at Miami Gardens at 6pm (22:00 GMT), giving them less than 24 hours to settle before kick-off.

The other members of the group, Spain and Cape Verde, will play in Atlanta on Monday.

Uruguay was the latest to deal with travel problems at the World Cup.

The great Somali actor Omar Artan was refused to enter the US this week after he was “confirmed to be ineligible due to anxiety”.

Meanwhile, the Iranian team was were granted US visas Only 10 days to their first game in Los Angeles. And Iraqi gunman Aymen Hussein was questioned for hours at the Chicago airport before being allowed to enter. The artist of the group, however, was rejected.