Uruguay have been embroiled in a travel nightmare after their chartered plane was denied authorisation to enter the United States ahead of their clash against Saudi Arabia
Uruguay’s national team plane was denied access to the United States prior to their 2026 World Cup encounter with Saudi Arabia. Uruguay are set to meet Saudi Arabia in their opening Group H fixture in Miami, Florida, at 11pm on Monday, having been stationed in Cancun, Mexico, for pre-match preparations.
Manager Marcelo Bielsa and defender Jose Maria Gimenez were also scheduled to meet the press on Sunday. However, the Uruguayans became caught up in a logistical disaster ahead of Monday’s encounter, with the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) placing the blame squarely on FIFA’s shoulders over the travel chaos.
The plane chartered to transport the squad from Cancun to Miami had been refused permission to enter the United States. A replacement aircraft was then secured, leading the federation to issue an official statement.
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“Due to problems beyond the control of the AUF, the departure from Mexico has been delayed,” the AUF’s statement read. “The squad is resting at the hotel. The new departure time set by FIFA is 4.15pm.”
An AUF representative also confirmed that FIFA were accountable for the hold-ups. Uruguay have since arrived in Miami and held a delayed press conference. Had the scheduled media meeting been delayed, the AUF could have been sanctioned by FIFA.
This is not the first occasion Bielsa has become entangled in a logistical row concerning a team under his stewardship. Bielsa was vocally critical of the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America, staged by the United States, contending that the preparation and coordination fell well below what had been publicly pledged.
“They do press conferences and say ‘No, the fields are perfect, the training pitches are perfect.’… I have all the photos that show that these are all lies,” Bielsa said at the time.
“The United States, I’ll remind you, when they felt their interests were being attacked, they created FIFAGate. With the FBI. They did what they did, but it was for their interests.
“Here? Nothing happened. This was a fantastic party, a competitive tournament, there’s nothing to complain about.”
This recent incident represents just one in a string of travel complications that have plagued different nations and officials over recent days.
Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States despite appearing as an approved member of personnel. Iran alleged its supporter ticket allocation had been revoked, though the team itself landed in the United States following Donald Trump’s announcement of a peace deal.
Before their arrival, Iran had been holding training sessions in Tijuana, Mexico, to adapt to the weather conditions at their intended base in Arizona. Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi launched a scathing attack on the United States as a host nation, telling ESPN: “I’ve been to three World Cups, and they always say once you get off the plane and you enter the host country, there’s just a unique atmosphere of friendliness and global-ness.
“Unfortunately, I’m not feeling it right now. There’s a lot of tension right now in this World Cup. You feel it in the atmosphere, and unfortunately, it’s because of actions like [visa denials]. Maybe that’s just my personal feeling.”