Álex Baena's goal and Fernando Muslera's error eliminate Uruguay from the 2026 World Cup

Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0 on June 27, 2026 at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara to win Group H and eliminate Uruguay from the World Cup without a single win in the tournament . Álex Baena scored the only goal in the 42nd minute after Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera let a weak shot slip through his grasp, a costly error that led to Muslera being substituted at halftime .

Final score and group standings

• Final score: Uruguay 0–1 Spain
• Group H final standings :
  • Spain — 7 points (2 wins, 1 draw)
  • Cape Verde — 3 points (0 wins, 3 draws)
  • Uruguay — 2 points (0 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss)
  • Saudi Arabia — 2 points (0 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss)

Spain advanced to the Round of 32 as group winners, while Cape Verde finished second on 3 points — also advancing — after a 0–0 draw with Saudi Arabia in the other group match .

Key match events

42' — Goal: Álex Baena opens the scoring
Baena broke the deadlock when he found space near the edge of the area and drove in a powerful effort that Muslera failed to hold, the ball slipping from his grasp and trickling into the net . It was the third blunder of the tournament by the 40-year-old Muslera, who had also been at fault for both of Cape Verde's goals in a 2-2 draw earlier in the group stage .

45' — Muslera substituted at halftime
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said after the game that Muslera asked to come off at the break. He was replaced with Sergio Rochet .

First-half injury — Manuel Ugarte
Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte was stretchered off before half-time after colliding with a teammate while attempting a tackle . He was replaced by Nicolas de la Cruz .

90+5' — Red card: Agustín Canobbio
Agustín Canobbio was sent off in stoppage time for a tackle on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi. His teammates had to escort him off the field, and after the final whistle he returned to try to talk to the referee .

Lamine Yamal's performance
The 18-year-old started for Spain had space to operate but, like most of his teammates, struggled to create clear chances against Uruguay's rigid defense before being substituted . Yamal entered the tournament nursing a left hamstring injury and didn't play the entire match .

Other notable moments

• Spain dominated possession with 68 percent of the ball and completed passes at 91 percent accuracy .
• Uruguay managed only two shots on target, neither of which posed significant threat before the 80th minute .
• A quality run from Yamal in the 62nd minute opened up a prime opportunity for Dani Olmo, but his lob landed on top of the net .

Attendance and pre-match tribute

Attendance: 45,065 at Estadio Akron, with King Felipe VI of Spain among the crowd .

Moment of silence: A minute of silence was observed before kickoff to honor the victims of back-to-back earthquakes that struck Venezuela two days earlier, each registering over 7.1 on the Richter scale . The tribute was also held at other World Cup matches that day, including the Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia match and two Group I fixtures .