Uruguay's national football team faced a delayed trip from Mexico to the United States on June 14 as they prepared for their 2026 World Cup Group H opener against Saudi Arabia in Miami the next day [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The team was based in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, about 72 kilometers from Cancun airport, their original departure point [4].
The initial flight scheduled to leave Cancun was canceled because required paperwork was missing or incomplete, forcing the team to wait while a second plane was arranged [3, 4, 5]. The Uruguay Football Association (AUF) attributed the delay to errors involving FIFA and airline permitting procedures in Mexico [3, 4, 5]. FIFA confirmed the delay, citing an airline permitting error and issued an apology, stating they worked with airport and operational partners to expedite the process and reduce disruption [4].
The AUF said, "Due to problems beyond the control of the AUF, the departure from Mexico has been delayed. The squad is resting at the hotel. The new departure time set by FIFA is 4:15 pm," local time [4]. Uruguay captain José María Giménez described the delay as "difficult" but said the squad used the downtime to rest. "We had some complications. It was difficult, but we took advantage by resting at the hotel. And we just got here later," he said [3].
Coach Marcelo Bielsa downplayed the impact on preparations, telling reporters, "No, the flight didn't cause us any complications" [3]. The travel issues forced the rescheduling of the mandatory pre-match press conference on June 14 to a later time in Miami, which Bielsa and Giménez eventually attended [1, 2, 4].
The delay illustrates the logistical challenges of the 2026 World Cup, which is being hosted by three countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada, complicating travel and coordination for some teams [3, 5].
Uruguay ultimately departed Mexico hours later than planned on June 14 and arrived in South Florida to prepare for their opening match against Saudi Arabia on June 15 in Miami [1, 2, 4, 5].
