Spain secured first place in Group H after defeating Uruguay 1-0 in a match that left plenty to be desired in front of the 45,065 fans in attendance at Estadio Guadalajara.
Álex Baena’s goal in the 42nd minute, courtesy of a disastrous mistake by Fernando Muslera, handed the Europeans the victory and sealed Uruguay’s elimination. La Celeste finished third in the group with two points. Cape Verde, meanwhile, advanced as runners-up after a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia, finishing with three points from three consecutive draws. Their reward? A Round of 32 showdown against Argentina.
Jalisco Was Ready
Estadio Guadalajara welcomed Mexican fans—many wearing Mexico jerseys and others sporting Spain shirts—alongside Spanish and Uruguayan supporters for what, on paper, was the most attractive group-stage match played in Mexico. Brazilian, Belgian, and Colombian fans were also spotted around the stadium entrances. Nobody wanted to miss this one.
For months, everyone knew that June 26 would bring stars such as Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Federico Valverde, and Manuel Ugarte to Guadalajara, a city that hosted four World Cup matches.
The venue bid farewell to the tournament with an outstanding crowd, even if it ultimately fell just short of a sellout.
Uruguayan Disaster Before Halftime
Just as Uruguay was enjoying its best spell of the match and had created a couple of dangerous chances, Fernando Muslera committed a costly blunder on an Álex Baena shot, allowing Spain to take the lead in the 42nd minute. The mistake came as a bucket of cold water for the Uruguayans, who also lost Manuel Ugarte to injury at the same time. Nicolás de la Cruz replaced him.
Spain went into halftime with a lead it perhaps hadn’t entirely earned, as it had not been significantly better than its opponent. Still, the fortunate goal provided all the comfort La Roja needed heading into the break. For the second half, Marcelo Bielsa substituted Muslera following his costly error.
A Swift Descent into Scrapball
The match then took the path nobody wanted. It became a scrappy battle in midfield, filled with misplaced passes, almost no attacking play down the wings, and very little offensive football. During the cooling breaks, sections of the crowd even booed the players.
Uruguay resorted to repeatedly breaking up play with fouls. Needing a victory to stay alive, Bielsa’s side had no choice but to take risks. Instead, it showed perhaps too much respect for Spain and never displayed the footballing quality necessary to take control at Estadio Guadalajara.
Luis de la Fuente substituted Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal, both of whom had quiet performances, bringing on Ferran Torres and Nico Williams in search of fresh legs and greater attacking threat. Meanwhile, the crowd began chanting, “¡México, México, México!” in response to the complete lack of entertainment on the pitch.
Frustration in the Stands, and on the Pitch
As the minutes ticked away, the game continued to lose intensity. Uruguay pushed forward and enjoyed more possession, but never truly threatened Unai Simón’s goal. Fans also broke into “Cielito Lindo,” the iconic song heard during Mexico national team matches, hoping to inject some life into a contest that had fallen into a footballing lull.
In the 86th minute, Ferran Torres came close to putting the match away, but his shot rattled the crossbar after beating goalkeeper Santiago Rochet.
The frustration spread to the stands as well. Fans began chanting, “Cape Verde! Cape Verde!” knowing the Africans’ 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia was sending them into the Round of 32.
In the closing minutes, Agustín Canobbio was shown a red card after a reckless challenge, a reflection of Uruguay’s growing frustration. La Celeste bowed out of the World Cup without ever finding footballing answers, capping off one of the tournament’s biggest disappointments. With the elimination confirmed, Marcelo Bielsa’s tenure as Uruguay manager also came to an end.
Spain will return to action on Thursday, July 2, in Los Angeles. They will face the runner-up of Group J, a spot currently occupied by Austria, but could be Algeria pending results of their tie tomorrow.
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