Uruguay's national football team has openly criticised FIFA following a chaotic start to their World Cup 2026 campaign, after their travel plans from Mexico to Miami for their opening match were significantly disrupted. The squad, led by coach Marcelo Bielsa, found themselves stranded in Cancun due to problems with the paperwork for their chartered aircraft, which prevented it from receiving clearance to fly to the United States.
The team had been undergoing final preparations at the Mayakoba Complex, a hotel resort near Cancun International Airport, before their scheduled departure. However, the flight was delayed for an extended period, leading to frustration within the Uruguayan camp. The Uruguayan FA (AUF) issued a statement confirming the delay, attributing it to "problems beyond the control of the AUF" and stating that a new departure time had been set by FIFA. An AUF spokesperson later confirmed to The Athletic that they hold FIFA responsible for the logistical issues.
The disruption has had immediate consequences for Uruguay's pre-tournament schedule. Coach Bielsa was scheduled to attend a pre-match press conference at the Miami Stadium on Sunday evening, which has now been thrown into doubt with no confirmation of a new time or its complete cancellation. The situation has also drawn public comment from Uruguayan football legend Diego Forlan, who expressed his dismay on social media, questioning who was to blame.
Uruguay's predicament is not an isolated incident, highlighting broader travel challenges faced by teams and officials travelling to the US for the tournament. Reports indicate several other issues, including a Somalian referee being denied entry to the US due to unspecified "vetting concerns," and Palestine's football chief still awaiting permission to enter the country. Iran's football federation has also claimed its fan ticket allocation has been revoked, just a week before their first match.
The team is scheduled to play their first two group stage matches in Miami, facing Saudi Arabia on 15th June, followed by Cape Verde on 21st June. They are then due to return to Mexico for their final group game against Spain on 27th June. The current travel disruptions raise concerns about the smooth execution of further logistical arrangements for the teams involved in the tournament.