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Doha, Qatar: The Uruguay national team will return home individually after its disappointing FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign, following the cancellation of the squad's charter flight back to Montevideo after the team's group-stage elimination.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, the Uruguayan Football Association decided to cancel the charter flight from the team's base camp in Mexico to the Uruguayan capital.
Players will instead travel separately, either returning directly to their respective clubs or flying home individually for their post-tournament break.
Marca described the move as "a measure reflecting the shock of an earlier-than-expected World Cup exit."
Some other reports claimed tensions emerged within the Uruguay camp ahead of the decisive group-stage match against Spain.
A disagreement took place between a group of senior players, led by captain Federico Valverde, and head coach Marcelo Bielsa over the tactical approach for the crucial encounter.
Uruguay endured a disappointing campaign in Group H, where they were drawn alongside Spain, Cape Verde, and Saudi Arabia.
The two-time world champions opened with consecutive draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde before suffering a 1-0 defeat to Spain in their final group-stage match.
The results left Uruguay with just two points, finishing third behind group winners Spain and second-placed Cape Verde, while Saudi Arabia ended fourth.
The early exit marked one of the tournament's biggest disappointments, with Uruguay failing to reach the newly expanded Round of 32 despite entering the competition among the favourites to progress from the group.
