Uruguay's World Cup campaign has come to an end after a 1-0 defeat to Spain at the Al Bayt Stadium. The loss means Marcelo Bielsa's side will not progress to the knockout stages of the tournament. Fernando Muslera's mistake in the Spanish penalty area gifted Alex Baena the only goal of the game.
Spain dominated the match, but it was Uruguay who had the first real chance of the game when Facu Navarro's shot from the edge of the box was well saved by Unai Simón.
The match remained goalless until the 11th minute when Alex Baena scored the decisive goal. Baena's goal was initially awarded as a penalty, but after a VAR review, it was confirmed as a goal from a free kick. Fernando Muslera's mistake in the Spanish penalty area allowed Baena to score from a free kick, which gave Spain the lead.
The Uruguay goalkeeper was left red-faced as he failed to deal with the free kick, which resulted in Baena scoring the only goal of the game. The match was not without controversy, as Uruguay's Matías Viña was shown a red card in the 26th minute for a reckless challenge on Spain's Álvaro Morata.
Speaking after the game, Spain manager, Luis Enrique, said: 'We're very happy with the three points, but we know we can do better.' Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa expressed his disappointment with his side's performance, stating: 'We were not at our best today.'
Uruguay's World Cup campaign may be over, but they still have a chance to finish in third place in Group H. They will face South Korea in their final group stage match, which will take place on December 8.