Uruguay’s disappointing FIFA World Cup campaign has reportedly ended with yet another setback—this time off the pitch.
According to multiple reports from Uruguayan media, the Uruguayan Football Federation canceled the national team’s planned charter flight from their training base in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, back to Montevideo following their early World Cup elimination. Instead, players and staff were reportedly left to make their own arrangements and return home on commercial flights.
Ranked 16th in the world by FIFA before the tournament, Uruguay became the highest-ranked team to crash out in the group stage. Their campaign included a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia, a 2-2 draw with World Cup debutants Cape Verde after surrendering a second-half lead, and a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Spain in the final group match.
Team captain José María Giménez expressed the nation’s disappointment, saying the squad felt “profound sadness” and apologized to the Uruguayan people for failing to meet expectations.
Head coach Marcelo Bielsa also delivered a candid assessment of his three-year tenure, admitting that without results, his time with Uruguay “left nothing behind.” Reports also suggested tensions within the squad before the decisive match against Spain, with claims of unrest in the dressing room and a tense post-match exchange between Bielsa and the media.
While the federation has not officially commented on the reported charter flight cancellation, the incident has added further controversy to what has been a deeply disappointing World Cup campaign for one of South America’s traditional football powers.
