Uruguay's national football team experienced considerable disruption to their World Cup 2026 preparations, with their journey from a training base in Mexico to Miami for their opening match against Saudi Arabia significantly delayed. The squad, managed by Marcelo Bielsa, was left waiting in Cancun after issues emerged with the necessary paperwork for their chartered aircraft to fly to the United States.
The problem stemmed from a lack of clearance for the plane to operate the Cancun to Miami route, specifically relating to flight permits. This unexpected hurdle meant the team remained at their hotel resort, the Mayakoba Complex, located approximately 45 minutes from Cancun International Airport, for an extended period while a resolution was sought. The Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) expressed their frustration, initially pointing the finger at FIFA for the logistical breakdown.
In response, FIFA released a statement acknowledging the incident. It read: "Due to an airline permitting error in Mexico, the Uruguay national team’s departure from Cancun to Miami was delayed. The airline has apologised for the inconvenience caused." FIFA also stated that it "remained in close contact with the Uruguay national team throughout their delay and worked alongside airport and operational partners to help expedite the process and minimise disruption to the team’s travel arrangements." This clarification contrasted with the AUF's earlier communication, which stated, "Due to problems beyond the control of the AUF, the departure from Mexico has been delayed. The squad is resting at the hotel. The new departure time set by FIFA is 4.15pm."
The delays had immediate consequences, including impacting manager Marcelo Bielsa's scheduled pre-match press conference, which was set for 8pm EST on Sunday at the Miami Stadium. The situation also drew comment from Uruguay legend Diego Forlan, who posted a frustrated query on social media: "Who is to blame???" followed by a rallying cry, "Arriba Uruguay!!"
This travel disruption is not an isolated incident in the lead-up to the World Cup 2026. Other teams and individuals have also faced difficulties entering the US. Notably, Somalian referee Omar Artan was denied entry due to unspecified "vetting concerns," despite being an approved FIFA employee. Palestine's football chief, Jibril Rajoub, has also reported awaiting permission to enter the country, while Iran claimed its fan ticket allocation was revoked. Ghana's Thomas Partey was similarly denied entry to Canada for their match against Panama due to past legal issues.
Uruguay is scheduled to play their first two group stage matches in Miami, facing Saudi Arabia on June 15 and Cape Verde on June 21, before travelling back to Mexico for their final group game against Spain on June 27.
Source: FIFA, The Independent