Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0 to advance to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup, while the South American giants were eliminated after finishing without a win in Group H, Softfotball reports.
The European champions secured top spot with seven points and will face the second-placed team from Group J in the round of 32. Uruguay, ranked 19th in the world, became the highest-ranked team eliminated so far.
Álex Baena scored the decisive goal in the 42nd minute after Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera failed to properly deal with his effort inside the box. It was Muslera’s third major mistake of the tournament, leading coach Marcelo Bielsa to replace him at halftime.
Uruguay struggled to create clear chances and finished the tournament with three games without victory. Cape Verde’s draw with Saudi Arabia in the other Group H match meant Uruguay finished third but failed to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.
The defeat brought emotional scenes after the final whistle, with some Uruguay players left in tears while fans expressed their frustration. Tensions rose late in the match as Agustín Canobbio was sent off in stoppage time for a challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsí.
Spain continued their recovery after a disappointing opening draw against Cape Verde and followed up their 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia with another strong defensive display.
Player Ratings
Uruguay
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Fernando Muslera | 4.5 |
| Guillermo Varela | 6.6 |
| Mathías Olivera | 8.0 |
| Sebastián Cáceres | 6.4 |
| Juan Sanabria | 7.2 |
| Manuel Ugarte | 7.0 |
| Rodrigo Bentancur | 7.3 |
| Agustín Canobbio | 6.4 |
| Federico Valverde | 6.5 |
| Maximiliano Araújo | 6.6 |
| Darwin Núñez | 6.2 |
Spain
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| Unai Simón | 6.5 |
| Marcos Llorente | 8.4 |
| Aymeric Laporte | 7.6 |
| Pau Cubarsí | 7.2 |
| Marc Cucurella | 7.0 |
| Pedri | 7.4 |
| Rodri | 7.2 |
| Mikel Merino | 6.4 |
| Lamine Yamal | 6.2 |
| Mikel Oyarzabal | 5.9 |
| Álex Baena | 7.7 |
Match Statistics
| Statistic | Uruguay | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 0 | 1 |
| Ball possession | 30% | 70% |
| Attempts | 4 | 5 |
| On target | 0 | 1 |
| Corners | 0 | 6 |
| Offsides | 3 | 1 |
| Yellow cards | 2 | 1 |
| Passes | 168 | 486 |
