World Cup 2026: Spain eliminates Uruguay (1-0) and advances to the round of 32

26.06.26 FT World Cup

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Spain got the job done. Thanks to a narrow but crucial win over Uruguay (1-0), La Roja secured top spot in Group H and booked their ticket to the round of 32. As for La Celeste, their World Cup journey ends in the group stage, undone by inconsistency.

Spain took care of business. With a slim yet valuable victory against Uruguay (1-0), La Roja clinched first place in Group H and their place in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup. The only goal of the match came from Álex Baena in the 42nd minute, capitalizing on a mistake by Fernando Muslera to tip the balance.

Read also: World Cup 2026 / Uruguay - Spain: La Roja leads 1-0 at halftime!

Despite the urgency of the situation, Uruguay never found the answer. Marcelo Bielsa's men, already rattled by internal tensions and the injury to Manuel Ugarte before halftime, failed to register a single shot on target over the 90 minutes. In the second half, Bielsa even replaced Muslera with Sergio Rochet—a bold decision that could mark the end of the iconic goalkeeper's international career.

Meanwhile, the draw between Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia (0-0) completely changed the dynamics. With three points, the Blue Sharks pulled off a historic feat by finishing second in Group H and qualifying for the round of 32. Uruguay, on the other hand, exits the World Cup after just one round—a huge disappointment for one of the group’s pre-tournament favorites.

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI |

Editor

Football web writer creating digital sports content with a focus on news, analysis and stories that reflect passion, accuracy and objectivity.

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