The Uruguayan national team held FIFA responsible for the disruption that accompanied its preparations for the start of its journey in the 2026 World Cup after its delegation's travel from Mexico to the American city of Miami was delayed.
Uruguay will begin their campaign in Group H against Saudi Arabia in Miami, before facing Cape Verde, and then return to Mexico to face Spain at the end of the group stage.
According to reports, coach Marcelo Bielsa's delegation headed to Cancun to make final preparations, before their departure was delayed at the airport because the chartered plane did not obtain the necessary permits to enter the United States, due to an administrative error in the travel documents.
The crisis forced the Uruguayan national team to stay for hours inside the Mayacopa Hotel near Cancun Airport, which sparked resentment within the Uruguayan Federation, which indicated in an official statement that the delay was due to "circumstances beyond our control," with a new departure time set in coordination with FIFA.
In statements to The Athletic, Uruguayan federation officials said that FIFA was responsible for what happened, while no official comment has yet been issued by the international federation.
Several sports figures, including former Uruguayan star Diego Forlan, also expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation, asking on social media: "Who is responsible?"
This incident is part of a series of travel problems that have plagued some of the teams participating in the tournament held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, which also saw some delegations delayed or prevented from entering for administrative and security reasons.
In contrast, the Saudi national team is proceeding in a stable atmosphere, having arrived in Miami and completed its preparations under the leadership of Greek coach Georgios Donis, amidst high technical readiness before the start of its journey in the tournament.
The match will take place early Tuesday morning at Hard Rock Stadium, at 01:00.
