Results of the match between Spain and Uruguay FIFA World Cup. Álex Baena settles it as Spain books Round of 32 spot, Uruguay absent |: Football News:
Spain booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 as winners of Group H after edging out a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Uruguay at the Guadalajara Stadium, with Álex Baena scoring the only goal of the game. The reigning European champions were far from their best but capitalized on a costly first-half error before producing another disciplined defensive display to finish top of the group with seven points.For Uruguay, it was a disappointing end to a tournament that never gained momentum. Marcelo Bielsa’s team arrived needing a win to guarantee progression after opening the competition with consecutive draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, but a flurry of attacks condemned La Celeste to elimination with just two points from three matches.
Baena’s decisive strike punished Muslera’s costly error before the break
Spain entered the night knowing that a draw would be enough to clinch first place, while Uruguay faced a virtual knockout game after failing to win either of their opening games. As expected, Luis de la Fuente’s side monopolized possession from the opening whistle, finishing the night with 68 percent of the ball and completing passes with an impressive 91 percent accuracy, although Uruguay’s compact defensive shape prevented them from creating many clear-cut opportunities.The breakthrough, and ultimately the only goal of the game, came in the 42nd minute after constant pressure from the Spanish on the right side. Marcos Llorente delivered what appeared to be a routine cross into the penalty area, but the bouncing ball was completely deceived by veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Instead of gathering comfortably, the Uruguay captain allowed it to slip through his grasp, with Álex Baena reacting quickest to guide the ball into the net and give Spain a 1-0 lead. It proved to be the decisive moment of the contest and a mistake that Muslera could not recover from, as Bielsa replaced his captain with Sergio Rochet during the interval.Moments later, Uruguay suffered another significant setback when midfield anchor Manuel Ugarte was stretchered off in the 44th minute after sustaining an injury, disrupting the balance of a side that was already struggling to take control of the midfield.
Spain controlled the game as Uruguay struggled to break through
Although Spain enjoyed territorial dominance throughout the night, Uruguay actually finished with one more shot than their opponents, attempting six attempts to Spain’s five, while forcing Unai Simón into two saves compared to Rochet’s one stop.Lamine Yamal once again provided Spain’s main creative spark from the right wing despite constant close attention from Uruguay’s defenders. The teenage winger repeatedly drove inside looking to open up the defense and produced one of the best moments of the game in the 65th minute, darting past his marker before squaring perfectly for Dani Olmo. The midfielder buckled under the pressure, however, and lifted his finish over the crossbar from a good position.Uruguay’s aggressive approach to contain Yamal eventually resulted in Juan Manuel Sanabria receiving a yellow card in the 53rd minute after bringing down the Barcelona youngster. With Spain in charge of the result and the teenager’s work ahead of the knockout rounds, Yamal made way for Nico Williams in the 76th minute.Bielsa’s tactical plan revolved around Federico Valverde supplying Darwin Núñez as quickly as possible, but Spain’s midfield denied the two players the space they needed. Núñez spent most of the night dropping deep or drifting into multiple positions in search of possession, leaving him with only a speculative long-range effort in the 39th minute that sailed comfortably wide. Valverde was left alone before being substituted in the 56th minute for Federico Viñas, who walked to the bench with his shirt pulled over his face in visible frustration.
Uruguay threatened late on but Spain held firm
Despite finding little rhythm in possession, Uruguay created better chances after going down. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Ronald Araújo met a loose ball inside the area after a set-piece scramble, but Unai Simón produced a superb full-length save to preserve Spain’s advantage.Uruguay continued to push after the interval, creating dangerous overloads in wide areas, but the final ball often let them down. Nicolás de la Cruz tested Simón from distance late in the game, with the Spain goalkeeper initially wasting the effort before gathering safety at the second attempt.The contest became more physical as both teams committed 14 fouls each. Uruguay collected three yellow cards through Sanabria, Federico Varela and De la Cruz, while Spain’s lone booking went to goalscorer Baena.The tension came to a head in the 90th minute when Dani Olmo and Federico Viñas collided inside Spain’s penalty area, prompting fierce penalty appeals from the Uruguayan players. The referee dismissed the claims, and De la Cruz went into the book for his protests. Uruguay’s night worsened in stoppage time when Agustín Canobbio was shown a straight red card for a careless challenge, bringing a chaotic end to their World Cup campaign.
Spain finished on top while Uruguay bowed out
Spain completed the group stage unbeaten after opening with a draw against Cape Verde before wins over Saudi Arabia and Uruguay secured seven points and first place in Group H.The final standings saw Spain finish as group winners on seven points, followed by Cape Verde on three points, who moved up to second place. Uruguay’s two-point haul left them third and eliminated, while Saudi Arabia also exited the tournament with two points after finishing lowest on goal difference.For Spain, attention is now on the Round of 32 which brings confidence built on another organized defensive performance and few chances taken in the group stage. For Uruguay, the campaign ended in disappointment, with Bielsa’s talented team unable to translate possession and attacking intent into the victories needed to reach the knockout rounds.
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