Uruguay's FIFA World Cup Journey Faces Delays Due to Document Issues

Uruguay's Flight to the US Delayed

Playa del Carmen [Mexico], June 15: Uruguay's journey to the United States for their opening match in the FIFA World Cup against Saudi Arabia was hindered on Sunday due to a documentation error, as reported by a news outlet.

The flight was postponed for several hours because the necessary paperwork required by FIFA was not prepared in time for departure.

As two-time World Cup champions, Uruguay has set up their training camp in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. They were scheduled to fly to Miami for their Group H match against Saudi Arabia, which is set to take place on Monday at the Hard Rock Stadium. Following this match, they will face Cape Verde, who are making their World Cup debut on June 21, and the 2010 champions, Spain, on June 26 in Zapopan, Mexico.

This delay may also lead to the cancellation of the pre-match press conference featuring coach Marcelo Bielsa and captain Jose Maria Gimenez.

Neither the Uruguay Football Association nor FIFA has issued a statement regarding this situation yet.

Uruguay won the first-ever World Cup in 1930 and again in 1950, but their performance in recent tournaments has been inconsistent. They faced two group stage exits in 2002 and 2022, secured a fourth-place finish in 2010, failed to qualify in 2006, reached the round of 16 in 2014, and made it to the quarterfinals in 2018.

In contrast, Iran's national team successfully arrived in the United States, landing at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday ahead of their World Cup opener against New Zealand, also scheduled for Monday.

Prior to their departure, the Iranian team received an enthusiastic farewell from fans at their base camp in Tijuana, where supporters gathered outside the hotel, chanting 'Team Melli' (Persian for 'national team') as players boarded the bus.