Spain advances while Uruguay suffers an early group stage exit
La Roja officially sent Uruguay packing from the FIFA World Cup 2026. Spain secured top honors in Group H on Saturday. Midfielder Alex Baena became the hero with a crucial 42nd-minute strike in Zapopan. This result marks Spain's first-ever tournament victory over the South American squad, breaking a historical trend of frustrating draws between the two nations on the global stage.
Defensively, Spain reached an incredible milestone. They finished their group stage matches without conceding a single goal for the first time in tournament history. Uruguay struggled deeply against this disciplined setup. Manager Marcelo Bielsa even replaced goalkeeper Fernando Muslera at halftime. Muslera had made a critical error that let Baena’s shot slip directly into the net.
Sergio Rochet took over goalkeeping duties while Uruguay desperately chased an equalizer. Spain simply controlled the game using calm passing combinations. Ferran Torres nearly doubled the lead when he hit the crossbar late in the second half. Frustrations eventually boiled over for the eliminated South American side. Agustin Canobbio received a red card in injury time after a bad tackle on Pau Cubarsi. Spain now travels to Los Angeles for their Round of 32 match on July 2.
Image Courtesy: ANI
