Uruguay's national team faced a sudden crisis ahead of their match against Saudi Arabia at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, after the aircraft designated to transport the squad's delegation to the United States was prevented from entering American airspace due to failure to meet the required regulatory conditions — before efforts succeeded in resolving the problem and rearranging the team's flight to Miami.
Spanish newspaper As reported that the Uruguay squad remained at their training base in the Mexican city of Cancún just hours before the start of their World Cup campaign, after it emerged that the plane scheduled to carry the team to Miami did not possess the documents required under US regulations.
The delay to Uruguay's flight disrupted the preparatory schedule of the team, led by Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, and also forced the postponement of certain official pre-match commitments, most notably the press conference ahead of the Saudi Arabia fixture.
The Uruguayan Football Association engaged in a race against the clock in coordination with FIFA before managing to reschedule the flight and ensure the delegation reached Miami within the deadline set for participating delegations.
Uruguayan media outlets, including Ovación and El Observador, reported that players remained inside the Mayakoba complex in Mexico awaiting the completion of travel procedures, before the crisis was resolved and the squad moved towards the United States.
Reports confirmed that the problem was related solely to the aircraft's documentation, and not to any ban on Uruguay's national team from entering the United States, noting that the match against Saudi Arabia will go ahead as scheduled.
Bielsa is expected to make some adjustments to the pre-match preparation programme after the delay reduced the time available for final preparations ahead of the team's first appearance in the tournament.
Uruguay begin their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Saudi Arabia in Miami at 2:00 a.m. UAE time on Tuesday, as part of Group H, which also includes Spain and Cape Verde, in a tournament hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico through 19 July.