Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0 at the Guadalajara Stadium, with Alex Baena scoring the only goal of the game. Spain advanced to the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup as first place in Group H. The reigning European champions were far from their best but they capitalized on costly first-half mistakes and produced another disciplined defensive performance to top their group with seven points.For Uruguay, it was a frustrating end to a tournament that never really gathered momentum. Marcelo Bielsa’s side needed a win to secure promotion after successful draws with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde in their opening games, but another wasteful attacking display saw La Celeste eliminated with just two points from three games.
Baena’s decisive goal punished Muslera for a costly mistake just before the break
Spain went into the evening knowing that a draw would be enough to secure first place, while Uruguay faced a virtual elimination round after failing to win in both opening games. As expected, Luis de la Fuente’s side dominated possession from the opening whistle, finishing the night with 68% possession and an impressive 91% passing accuracy, although Uruguay’s compact defensive shape prevented them from creating many clear-cut chances.After sustained pressure from the Spanish right wing, a breakthrough in the 42nd minute ended up being the only goal of the game. Marcos Llorente sent what looked like a routine cross into the penalty area, but the bouncing ball completely deceived veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Instead of receiving the ball easily, the Uruguayan captain let the ball slip from his hands. Alex Baena reacted fastest and put the ball into the net to give Spain a 1-0 lead. It proved to be the decisive moment of the game, Muslera never recovered from the mistake and Bielsa replaced his captain with Sergio Lochte at half-time.Shortly after, Uruguay suffered another major setback when midfielder Manuel Ugarte was pulled off after an injury in the 44th minute, disrupting the team’s already difficult-to-control midfield balance.
Spain controls game, Uruguay struggles to break through
Despite Spain’s territorial advantage throughout the night, Uruguay actually had one more shot on goal than their opponents, attempting six to Spain’s five while forcing Unai Simon into two saves while Lochte managed just one.Despite being closely watched by the Uruguayan defenders, Lamine Yamar once again provided Spain’s main source of creativity on the right wing. The young winger cut inside numerous times in an attempt to unlock the opposition defense and produced one of the game’s finest moments in the 65th minute when he slid past his marker before linking up perfectly with Dani Olmo. However, the midfielder leaned back under pressure and fired his shot over the crossbar from a great position.Uruguay’s aggressive attack on Yamal culminated in Juan Manuel Sanabria receiving a yellow card in the 53rd minute after bringing down the Barcelona youngster. Yamal made way for Nico Williams in the 76th minute as Spain controlled both the outcome and the teenager’s workload ahead of the knockout rounds.Bielsa’s tactical plan revolved around Federico Valverde feeding Darwin Nunez as quickly as possible, but Spain’s midfield denied both players the space they needed. Nunez spent much of the night dropping deep or moving out wide in search of possession, which allowed him to easily miss a speculative long-range shot in the 39th minute. Valverde became increasingly isolated before being replaced by Federico Viñas in the 56th minute, walking to the bench with his shirt covering his face and visibly frustrated.
Uruguay late threatens but Spain holds on
Despite poor rhythm in possession, Uruguay created the better chances after falling behind. Ronald Araujo encountered a loose ball in the penalty area during a set-piece challenge in first-half stoppage time, but Unai Simon produced a superb full-length save to preserve Spain’s advantage.Uruguay continued to work hard after the break, creating dangerous excesses down the wing, but the final goal always let them down. Nicolás de la Cruz tested Simon from distance late in the game and the Spanish goalkeeper initially failed to take the shot but collected the ball safely at his second attempt.The game became more and more intense, with both teams committing 14 fouls each. Uruguayan team Sanabria, Federico Barrera and de la Cruz accumulated three yellow cards, while the Spanish team’s only yellow card was the goal scorer Baena.In the 90th minute, Dani Olmo and Federico Viñas collided in the Spanish penalty area, and the tension reached its peak. The Uruguayan player strongly demanded a penalty kick. The referee dismissed the claim and De La Cruz was sent off for protesting. Uruguay’s night worsened further in stoppage time when Agustín Canobbio was shown a straight red card for a reckless collision, bringing their World Cup campaign to a chaotic end.
Spain ranked first, Uruguay eliminated
The Spanish team opened with a draw with Cape Verde and remained unbeaten in the group stage. Then they defeated Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, accumulating 7 points and ranking first in Group H.In the final standings, Spain ranked first in the group with seven points, followed by Cape Verde with three points, ranking second. Uruguay is in third place with two points and is eliminated, while Saudi Arabia is also bottom of the group on goal difference and is eliminated with two points.For Spain, attention now turns to the last 32, with their confidence built on another organized defensive performance and conceding only few chances in the group stages. The season ended in disappointment for Uruguay, with Bielsa’s talented side unable to convert possession and attacking intent into the wins needed to reach the knockout rounds.
