The Uruguay national soccer team spent Father’s Day stranded at a Mexican resort, not because of a bad loss or a training injury, but because their charter plane didn’t have the right paperwork to cross the border. The bizarre travel meltdown, which forced Marcelo Bielsa’s squad to cancel a pre-match press conference, has sparked a finger-pointing war between the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) and FIFA on the eve of their World Cup 2026 opener.
Uruguay was supposed to fly from Cancun to Miami on Sunday, settle into their hotel, and have Bielsa address the media at 8 p.m. EST. Instead, the team remained holed up at the Mayakoba Complex, about 45 minutes from the airport, while officials scrambled behind the scenes. The problem, according to FIFA, was a “permitting error” by the airline — a claim the AUF emphatically rejects.
Who dropped the ball?
The Uruguayan federation put the blame squarely on FIFA, issuing a statement that said the delay was caused by “problems beyond the control of the AUF.” They added that FIFA set a new departure time of 4:15 p.m. local time. FIFA, in turn, released a statement blaming the airline directly: “Due to an airline permitting error in Mexico, the Uruguay national team’s departure from Cancun to Miami was delayed. The airline has apologized for the inconvenience caused.”
Diego Forlán, the legendary former Uruguay striker, appeared genuinely frustrated on social media. “Who is to blame???” he wrote, before adding, “Arriba Uruguay!!” — a clear sign that even alumni of the program were confused by the debacle.
A broader pattern of travel chaos
Uruguay’s ordeal is just the latest example of tournament travel gone sideways. Somalia referee Omar Artan was famously denied entry to the United States over unspecified “vetting concerns,” despite being an approved FIFA employee. Palestine’s football chief, Jibril Rajoub, said Friday he is still waiting for permission to enter the country. Iran’s federation claims its fan ticket allocation was revoked a week before their first match against New Zealand in Los Angeles, a move they say will “sabotage the presence of Iranian fans.”
And in one of the most high-profile cases, Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was denied entry into Canada due to his past legal situation. FIFA confirmed the visa refusal from the Canadian government, meaning Partey will miss Ghana’s group-stage opener against Panama.
What’s next for Uruguay
Uruguay will play their first two group matches in Miami: Saudi Arabia on June 15 and Cape Verde on June 21. They will then return to Mexico for a final group game against Spain on June 27. Whether they arrive on time for that one remains to be seen — but if this weekend is any indication, the team might want to book their own flights.
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