Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a must-win game for the Uruguayans. Unfortunately, neither team showed up and it was a mistake by Uruguay that gave Spain the win.
Spain 1-0 Uruguay
There were only three shots on goal in the entire game. The game started off slow but seemed normal as teams usually take time to warm up and get used to the game. As it turned out, they needed the full 90 minutes to warm up.
Spain took the lead in the 42nd minute when Álex Baena took a slow, bouncing shot towards goal. Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera dove towards the ball with his arms half extended, managed to get both hands on the ball, yet the ball still managed to roll slowly into the net.
Muslera was then substituted at halftime. Then, in a decision most would not have made, Uruguayan captain Federico Valverde was subbed off in the 57th minute. This is the earliest he has been subbed off when playing for the national team.
The rest of the game was a full-field game of possession where neither team attempted to score. The one time Spain found themselves with a one-on-one, Ferran Torres shot the ball off the crossbar from point-blank range.
The referee, after seven minutes of added time, put the stadium of jeering fans out of their misery and called time, making Uruguay’s elimination official.
As a result of this match and Cabo Verde’s scoreless draw against Saudi Arabia, Cabo Verde makes history as the smallest nation by population to qualify for the knockout stage of the World Cup.
After having arguably one of the easiest groups, Argentina lucks out again as their opponent for the Round of 32 is Cabo Verde.
Not counting the results of the two games later tonight, there are now seven Round of 32 matches set. The new additions being Germany vs. Paraguay, Côte d’Ivoire vs. Norway, and Argentina vs. Cabo Verde.
As always, stay tuned to Futbolhijo.com for in-depth coverage of the biggest World Cup yet. Check back for my next article, where I will be covering matches and news that occur throughout the tournament. You can also read my previous recap of Ecuador’s shocking victory over Germany.
Cover Photo: Score of the Ecuador vs. Germany Game. NOTE: Image generated using the prompt “generate an image that matches the following 2026 World Cup title: Uruguay officially eliminated. Remove the word “officially” and replace the player with goalkeeper Fernando Muslera,” by OpenAI, ChatGPT, 2026 (https://chatgpt.com/).
