Uruguay have been caught up in a travel nightmare after their chartered flight was refused clearance to enter the United States ahead of their match against Saudi Arabia.
Uruguay have experienced travel disruption en route to America (Image: SANTIAGO MAZZAROVICH, AFP via Getty Images)
The Uruguayan national team's aircraft was not granted access to the United States before their 2026 World Cup fixture against Saudi Arabia. Uruguay are scheduled to face Saudi Arabia in their opening Group H match in Miami, Florida, at 11pm on Monday, having been based in Cancun, Mexico, for pre-game preparations.
Manager Marcelo Bielsa and defender Jose Maria Gimenez were also due to address the media on Sunday. However, the Uruguayans found themselves embroiled in a logistical nightmare ahead of Monday's game, with the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) attributing the travel disruption entirely to FIFA.
The plane chartered to fly the squad from Cancun to Miami had been denied permission to enter the United States. A substitute aircraft was subsequently arranged, prompting the federation to release an official statement.
Marcelo Bielsa's team eventually reached Miami (Image: Getty Images)
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"Due to issues outside the AUF's control, the departure from Mexico has been postponed," the AUF's statement read. "The squad is resting at the hotel. The new departure time established by FIFA is 4.15pm."
An AUF representative further confirmed that FIFA were responsible for the delays. Uruguay have since arrived in Miami and conducted a postponed press conference. Had the scheduled media event been further delayed, the AUF could have faced sanctions from FIFA.
This is not the first occasion Bielsa has been involved in a logistical dispute concerning a team he has managed. Bielsa was outspoken in his criticism of the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America, hosted by the United States, arguing that the preparation and organisation fell significantly short of what had been publicly promised.
"They hold 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 falsehoods," Bielsa said at the time.
"The United States, I'll remind you, when they felt their interests were being threatened, they created FIFAGate. With the FBI. They did what they did, but it was for their own interests.
"Here? Nothing happened. This was a wonderful party, a competitive tournament, there's nothing to complain about."
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This latest incident is just one in a series of travel issues that have affected various nations and officials over recent days.
Omar Artan was refused entry into the United States despite being listed as an approved member of personnel. Iran claimed its supporter ticket allocation had been withdrawn, though the team itself landed in the United States following Donald Trump's announcement of a peace deal.
Before their arrival, Iran had been conducting training sessions in Tijuana, Mexico, to acclimatise to the weather conditions at their planned base in Arizona. Iranian striker Mehdi Taremi launched a fierce attack on the United States as a host nation, telling ESPN: "I've been to three World Cups, and they always say once you step off the plane and enter the host country, there's just a unique atmosphere of friendliness and global unity.
"Unfortunately, I'm not sensing that right now. There's a lot of tension at 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 opinion."