The Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) has attributed issues with their national team’s travel to the United States for the World Cup to FIFA. The team’s flight from Cancún, Mexico, to Miami was significantly delayed, meaning their arrival in the U.S. would be approximately 24 hours before their opening match.
Uruguay is scheduled to play Saudi Arabia in their first group-stage match in Miami. However, the initial flight planned for the Uruguayan delegation from Cancún was not authorized to enter the U.S., according to multiple reports from Uruguay. This unexpected complication led to the commissioning of a second aircraft to transport the squad to South Florida.
The AUF released a statement on Sunday, confirming the delays: “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 4.15pm.” When questioned about FIFA‘s responsibility for these delays, an AUF spokesperson confirmed, “Correct.”
This incident is not an isolated one, as several nations and officials have encountered travel difficulties recently while heading to the U.S. for the tournament. For instance, Somalian referee Omar Artan was reportedly denied entry into the country due to unspecified “vetting concerns,” despite being on the approved list of FIFA employees. Additionally, Iran claimed its ticket allocation for supporters had been withdrawn, and the country’s football federation stated this decision would “sabotage the presence of Iranian fans.”
The AUF’s official X account also shared a message from former Uruguay striker Diego Forlan, originally posted in 2010. In his message, Forlan expressed frustration over a charter flight delay that occurred a day before the national team’s first World Cup game, asking, “Who is to blame???”
In response to the situation, FIFA issued a statement acknowledging the issue: “Due to an airline permitting error in Mexico, the Uruguay national team’s departure from Cancun to Miami was delayed. The airline has apologised for the inconvenience caused. FIFA remained in close contact with the Uruguay national team throughout their delay and worked alongside airport and operational partners to help expedite the process and minimise disruption to the team’s travel arrangements.”
Before the travel disruption, Uruguay held a training session on Sunday morning in Cancún. Head coach Marcelo Bielsa and central defender Jose Maria Gimenez were initially scheduled to speak to reporters in Miami at 6:45 PM local time. This news conference was subsequently held at 8:00 PM.
This is not the first time Bielsa has voiced concerns about tournament organization in the United States. During the 2024 Conmebol Copa América, also held in the U.S., Bielsa openly criticized the professional organization of the event. He described Conmebol as “a plague of liars,” citing discrepancies between official statements and the actual conditions of fields and training pitches. He mentioned having photographic evidence to support his claims.
Bielsa also referenced the FIFAGate scandal, noting that the United States, with the involvement of the FBI, acted when its own interests were perceived to be under attack. He contrasted this with the perceived lack of accountability in the context of the Copa América, stating, “Here? Nothing happened. This was a fantastic party, a competitive tournament, there’s nothing to complain about.”
The team was stationed at the Mayakoba Complex, a hotel resort located approximately 45 minutes from Cancún International Airport, while awaiting a resolution to their travel issues. Uruguay is set to play their first two group stage matches in Miami, facing Saudi Arabia on June 15, before playing Cape Verde on June 21.
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Source: nytimes.com
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