The Uruguayan national football team has now landed in the United States, confirming their first match will proceed as scheduled, after their aircraft was denied permission to enter the US ahead of their World Cup encounter with Saudi Arabia.
Travel Chaos Resolved
Uruguay are set to take on the Saudis in their opening Group H match in Miami, Florida, at 11pm on Monday, after being based in Cancun, Mexico, for pre-match preparations. Head coach Marcelo Bielsa and defender Jose Maria Gimenez were also scheduled to address the media on Sunday. However, the Uruguayans became caught up in a logistical crisis ahead of Monday's encounter, with the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) placing the blame squarely on FIFA for the travel chaos.
The plane chartered to transport the squad from Cancun to Miami was refused authorisation to enter the United States due to paperwork issues. A substitute aircraft was subsequently secured, prompting the federation to issue an official statement.
Official Statement
"Due to problems beyond the control of the AUF, the departure from Mexico has been delayed," the AUF's statement read. "The squad is resting at the hotel. The new departure time set by FIFA is 4.15pm." An AUF spokesperson also confirmed to the outlet that FIFA were accountable for the delays.
But the Uruguay team eventually landed in Florida after the problem was resolved. Bielsa and Gimenez spoke at a press conference, with the defender saying: "We had some complications. It was a difficulty, but we actually took advantage of it because we were able to rest at the hotel."
Bielsa's Previous Criticism
This is not the first occasion Bielsa has become entangled in a logistical row concerning a team under his stewardship. Bielsa was vocally critical of the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America, staged in the United States, contending that the planning and organisation fell well below what had been publicly pledged.
"They do press conferences and say 'No, the fields are perfect, the training pitches are perfect.'... I have all the photos that show that these are all lies," Bielsa said at the time. "The United States, I'll remind you, when they felt their interests were being attacked, they created FIFAGate. With the FBI. They did what they did, but it was for their interests."
Other Travel Issues
The Uruguay squad are based at a hotel roughly 45 minutes from the airport, with this latest incident representing just one in a string of travel complications that have afflicted various nations and officials in recent days. Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States despite being registered as an authorised member of staff. Iran maintained its fan ticket allocation had been revoked, though the squad itself arrived in the United States following Donald Trump's announcement of a peace agreement.
Before their arrival, Iran had been holding training sessions in Tijuana, Mexico, in order to acclimatise to the climatic conditions at their intended base in Arizona. Iranian striker Medhi Taremi voiced strong criticism of the United States as host nation, telling ESPN: "I've been to three World Cups, and they always say once you get off the plane and you enter the host country, there's just a unique atmosphere of friendliness and global-ness. Unfortunately, I'm not feeling it right now. There's a lot of tension right now in this World Cup. You feel it in the atmosphere, and unfortunately, it's because of actions like [visa denials]. Maybe that's just my personal feeling."
