Uruguay Wiretap

Spain eliminated Uruguay from the World Cup with a 1-0 victory Friday, capitalizing on another goalkeeping error by Fernando Muslera to secure top spot in Group H.

Alex Baena scored the decisive goal in the 42nd minute after Muslera could not fully clear his shot from inside the area. Spain dominated the match statistically, finishing with a 0.86-to-0.20 edge in expected goals. The blunder marked the third by the 40-year-old Muslera at this tournament, prompting coach Marcelo Bielsa to substitute him at halftime.

Uruguay finishes the group stage without a win across three matches, exiting as the highest-ranked team eliminated so far at 19th in the FIFA standings. Cape Verde claimed second place in the group with a scoreless draw against Saudi Arabia earlier Friday, edging both Uruguay and Saudi Arabia by a single point and denying Uruguay a path to advance as one of the best third-place finishers.

Tension marked the closing stages, with Uruguay's Agustin Canobbio sent off in stoppage time for a tackle on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi. Several Uruguay players cried on the field after the final whistle, and fans booed the team as it departed. Uruguay also lost midfielder Manuel Ugarte to an apparent knee injury late in the first half, with the player eventually stretchered off.

Spain, the reigning European champion, opened the tournament with a stunning scoreless draw against Cape Verde before rebounding with a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. The team has not advanced past the round of 16 since winning its only World Cup title in 2010.

Spain will face the second-place finisher from Group J, either Austria or Algeria, on Thursday in Inglewood, California.

Cape Verde drew 2-2 with two-time champion Uruguay on Sunday in Miami, extending their unbeaten run in their World Cup debut with another standout result against established opposition.

Kevin Pina opened the scoring after 20 minutes, driving a 30-yard free kick past Uruguay's defensive wall and goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. Cape Verde nearly doubled the lead when Sidny Cabral's cross required a fingertip save from Muslera to deny Gilson Benchimol at the far post. Uruguay finished with a 2.32-to-0.88 edge in expected goals.

Uruguay responded with two goals before halftime. Maxi Araujo headed in a rebound after Cabral inadvertently headed against his own post under pressure from Rodrigo Bentancur. Agustin Canobbio added a second in first-half injury time, cushioning home a pass from Araujo after Manuel Ugarte's floated delivery.

Substitute Helio Varela leveled the match after an hour, capitalizing on a miscued clearance from Mathias Olivera. Varela knocked the ball past Muslera and finished on the volley in virtually his first touch after entering the match. Uruguay had a potential winner disallowed for offside following a late goalmouth scramble.

The result followed Cape Verde's scoreless draw against European champion Spain in their tournament opener. The African nation can advance to the last 32 with a win or draw against Saudi Arabia in their final group match Friday.

Uruguay face a difficult path to qualification, needing a result against Spain in their closing fixture under coach Marcelo Bielsa.

Uruguay recovered from a first-half deficit to draw 1-1 with Saudi Arabia on Monday in Miami, salvaging a point in Group H hours after Spain's scoreless result against Cape Verde left the group wide open.

Uruguay entered the tournament with the 16th-most valuable roster among all 48 nations at $466.10 million, per Transfermarkt, compared to Saudi Arabia's 41st-ranked squad at $46.78 million.

Abdulelah Al Amri opened the scoring in the first half after Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera spilled the ball into his path. Muslera, 39, had retired from international football in April 2024 before returning to become the first Uruguayan to appear in five World Cup squads.

Uruguay generated an xG of 1.54 compared to Saudi Arabia's 0.99, finishing with 21 total shots. Maximiliano Araujo leveled the match with 10 minutes remaining, converting a rebound after Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais fumbled a shot into the far corner. Al Owais recovered to make several late stops and preserve the point.

Coach Marcelo Bielsa made a double substitution at halftime, removing Darwin Nunez and introducing Agustin Canobbio. Federico Vinas shifted to lead the attack and produced three headed chances in the second half.

"[No quotes were available from match principals in the source material.]"

All four Group H teams sit level on one point after the opening round. Uruguay face Cape Verde next, while Saudi Arabia meet Spain.

France enters the 2026 World Cup with the most valuable roster in the tournament at $1.76 billion, according to squad valuation data from Transfermarkt, with England ($1.507 billion) and Spain ($1.449 billion) ranked second and third.

Portugal, Germany, and Brazil round out the six nations surpassing the $1 billion threshold in total squad value.

Spain's Lamine Yamal and Norway's Erling Haaland share the top individual valuation at $238 million. Haaland alone accounts for roughly 33 percent of Norway's total $691 million squad value. Kylian Mbappe ranks third among individual players and leads France's roster.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ranks seventh among individual players but will not appear in the tournament after Georgia failed to qualify.

2026 World Cup Squad Valuations

1. France: $1.760 billion
2. England: $1.507 billion
3. Spain: $1.449 billion
4. Portugal: $1.173 billion
5. Germany: $1.148 billion
6. Brazil: $1.049 billion
7. Netherlands: $962.78 million
8. Argentina: $940.13 million
9. Norway: $691.15 million
10. Belgium: $624.34 million
11. Ivory Coast: $610.54 million
12. Morocco: $561.43 million
13. Senegal: $543.84 million
14. Turkiye: $543.61 million
15. Sweden: $492.18 million
16. Uruguay: $466.10 million
17. Croatia: $448.16 million
18. United States: $438.90 million
19. Ecuador: $432.63 million
20. Switzerland: $382.49 million
21. Colombia: $350.46 million
22.Japan: $320.74 million
23. Algeria: $295.44 million
24. Austria: $278.53 million
25. Ghana: $269.50 million
26. Canada: $226.15 million
27. Mexico: $220.63 million
28. Czechia: $216.41 million
29. Scotland: $195.79 million
30. Paraguay: $176.70 million
31. Bosnia-Herzegovina: $174.34 million
32. DR Congo: $165.49 million
33. South Korea: $159.91 million
34. Egypt: $133.95 million
35. Uzbekistan: $98.13 million
36. Australia: $89.07 million
37. Tunisia: $80.44 million
38. Haiti: $64.29 million
39. Cape Verde: $62.68 million
40. South Africa: $56.64 million
41. Saudi Arabia: $46.78 million
42. Panama: $39.73 million
43. New Zealand: $39.50 million
44. Iran: $36.86 million
45. Curacao: $29.65 million
46. Iraq: $24.38 million
47. Jordan: $23.58 million
48. Qatar: $22.92 million

CONMEBOL pulled this summer's Copa America from Argentina due to an increase of COVID-19 cases in the country.

Colombia was previously dropped as a co-host because of protests against President Ivan Duque.

The tournament is scheduled for June 13 through July 10.

CONMEBOL added that a new host would be announced "soon."

The Uruguayan Football Association laid off 400 members, including manager Oscar Tabarez.

The 73-year-old Tabarez, hired in 2006, was the longest serving manager in international football.

The measure was taken so staff members could collect unemployment insurance.

Tabarez won the 2011 Copa America. 

CONMEBOL postponed this summer's Copa America until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This is an extraordinary measure for an unexpected situation and responds to the fundamental need to avoid the exponential evolution of the virus," said CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez.

The tournament will now be rescheduled between June 11th and July 11th. The tournament will take place in Argentina and Colombia.

The decision comes on the heels of UEFA suspending the European Championship until 2021.

Edinson Cavani spoke of his confrontation with Lionel Messi during Uruguay's 2-2 draw with Argentina.

Cavani reportedly challenged Messi to a fight, to which Messi responded "whenever you want."

"It's part of football, Clasicos are like this. The truth is that it was at times a game that had friction, there were challenges and things that are part of football, especially of South American [football]," said Cavani.

Messi also made headlines for a confrontation with Brazil manager Tite last week. 

Edinson Cavani is likely to miss Uruguay's match in the quarterfinals against France.

Cavani suffered a calf injury in the round of 16 against Portugal.

Cavani missed training for the third consecutive day on Wednesday while receiving intense treatment on his left leg.

What happened in one snapshot in the 2018 World Cup, Match 32, Group A: Uruguay 3, Russia 0.