Spain secured top spot in Group H with a 1-0 victory over Uruguay at the Guadalajara Stadium on Friday, with Marcelo Bielsa's side crashing out of the FIFA World Cup 2026 as Cape Verde held Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw to progress as runners-up.
The decisive moment arrived three minutes before half-time following a sloppy passage of play in the Uruguay penalty area. Marcos Llorente drove a low cross across the six-yard box, where Álex Baena reacted quickest, swivelling away from his marker before firing a low shot. Veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera got both hands to the effort but could only watch as the ball squirmed through his grasp and trickled over the line.
Uruguay's problems mounted moments later as midfielder Manuel Ugarte was forced off with a leg injury before the break, prompting Nicolás de la Cruz's introduction. Bielsa then made the extraordinary decision to replace Muslera with Sergio Rochet at half-time after the goalkeeper's costly error.
Needing a goal to keep their World Cup hopes alive, Uruguay pushed numbers forward in the second half. Bielsa withdrew Federico Valverde before the hour mark in an attacking change, while Spain responded by introducing Dani Olmo and Fabián Ruiz to regain control of possession.
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The changes almost paid immediate dividends in the 65th minute when Lamine Yamal burst down the right and picked out Olmo inside the area, but the midfielder blazed his effort over the crossbar despite having both time and space to finish. Torres came closest to doubling the lead in the 87th minute when his fierce effort cannoned off the crossbar after a clever one-two on the edge of the area.
At the other end, Unai Simón preserved Spain's lead with a confident display. The goalkeeper raced off his line to deny Darwin Núñez before producing another important save to tip Mathías Olivera's looping effort behind as Uruguay searched desperately for an equaliser.
Uruguay's frustrations boiled over in stoppage time when Agustín Canobbio was shown a straight red card for a reckless, studs-up challenge on Pau Cubarsí, bringing a disappointing campaign to an acrimonious end.
The victory saw Spain finish top of Group H with seven points after keeping clean sheets in all three group matches. La Roja will face the Group J runners-up in the Round of 32 on July 2 in Los Angeles.
For Uruguay, however, the defeat marked another disappointing early exit. The two-time world champions finished third with two points, extending their wait for a knockout-stage appearance after also failing to progress beyond the group stage at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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