MIAMI : The South American side landed in Miami on Sunday following a prolonged travel ordeal that began in Mexico, where administrative issues reportedly prevented their original flight from departing. The delay forced FIFA and airport authorities to arrange alternative travel plans as Uruguay raced against time to reach the host nation.

According to the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF), the squad had completed training in Playa del Carmen and travelled to Cancun Airport expecting to fly to Miami. However, upon arrival, the delegation was informed that they were not authorised to enter the United States due to paperwork-related complications.

The team was subsequently taken back to a hotel near Cancun while a replacement aircraft was organised. In a statement, the AUF said the delay was caused by issues beyond its control and confirmed that FIFA had arranged a new departure schedule.

FIFA later clarified that the disruption resulted from an airline permitting error in Mexico. The governing body stated that it remained in close contact with the Uruguay delegation throughout the incident and worked alongside airport and operational partners to minimise the impact on the team’s travel plans.

The delay also affected official World Cup commitments. Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa and captain Jose Maria Gimenez missed a scheduled pre-match press conference in South Florida. The media event was later postponed, allowing both men to attend after reaching Miami.

Despite the disruption, Gimenez played down concerns about the incident, saying the team used the unexpected downtime to rest and recover. Bielsa also insisted that the travel issues had not affected his squad’s preparations, highlighting the work completed during training camps in Montevideo and Mexico.

Uruguay will face Saudi Arabia in their opening Group H match at Miami Gardens on Monday evening, leaving the team with less than a day to settle before taking to the field. The group’s other fixture will see Spain take on Cape Verde in Atlanta.

The incident is the latest in a series of travel-related issues surrounding the expanded 48-team World Cup. Somali referee Omar Artan was recently denied entry into the United States over vetting concerns, while the Iranian national team reportedly received visas only days before their opening match. Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was also subjected to lengthy questioning at a US airport before eventually being granted entry, although a member of Iraq’s media team was denied access.

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