Uruguay's World Cup start in doubt? National team plane denied landing in the US
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
A major administrative scandal has erupted around the Uruguay national team just days before their campaign at the 2026 World Cup is set to begin.
Details: According to Romain Molina, the plane carrying the Uruguay national team was unable to land on US territory. The reason for this drastic decision by American authorities was the simple lack of essential administrative documents required for entry and landing clearance.
The situation is critical, as Uruguay is scheduled to kick off their World Cup campaign the day after tomorrow. Such a serious delay completely throws off the team's preparation schedule, depriving the players of precious time to adapt, get proper rest after a long flight, and conduct their final pre-match training sessions before this crucial opener.
Reports indicate that urgent work is currently underway to process all the missing documentation and to arrange a new charter flight. The Uruguayan delegation is expected to depart for the US within the next few hours, provided the bureaucratic hurdles can be quickly resolved.
Notably, on Tuesday, June 16, Uruguay is set to face Saudi Arabia in their opening match.
Reminder: England legend Steven Gerrard named Uruguay as the team most likely to surprise everyone at the World Cup.
