FIFA WC 2026: Uruguay squad lands in Miami after permit issue delays flight, blames FIFA for travel chaos
New Delhi, June 15
The Uruguayan national team finally arrived in South Florida on Monday ahead of their opening FIFA World Cup match after their flight from Cancun, Mexico, was delayed due to a permit issue.
Uruguay, which held a training session in Cancun on Sunday morning, will face Saudi Arabia in a Group H opener on Tuesday (IST) at Hard Rock Stadium.
The Uruguay team was set to fly out around 2:00 PM to Fort Lauderdale (USA) to check into their hotel on Monday, before finally making their 2026 World Cup appearance on Tuesday. However, a paperwork issue with the plane's US entry permits prevented the flight from taking off on time.
"Due to an airline permitting error in Mexico, the Uruguay national team's departure from Cancun to Miami was delayed. The airline has apologised for the inconvenience caused.
"FIFA remained in close contact with the Uruguay national team throughout their delay and worked alongside airport and operational partners to help expedite the process and minimise disruption to the team's travel arrangements," FIFA said in a statement.
According to Uruguayan media, the flight, the Uruguay team was scheduled to board from Cancun was not authorised to enter the U.S.
A report in Telemundo claimed that FIFA, the governing body responsible for arranging the teams' charter flights, caused the delay at Cancun Airport due to administrative issues.
Consequently, the team's schedule was pushed back by two to three hours before they finally took off on an Aeromexico flight.
Uruguay are set to compete in their 15th FIFA World Cup and their fifth in a row since making a memorable return with a fourth-placed finish at South Africa 2010. After a rollercoaster qualification campaign, La Celeste clinched a direct berth in the hard-fought South American preliminaries for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Typical FIFA, eh? They get billions from sponsors but can't handle a simple permit for a plane. Meanwhile, Indian trains run on time if you bribe the right person. 😅
I'm from Australia and we always struggle with travel logistics in big tournaments. But blaming FIFA for a 2-hour delay seems a bit much. The Uruguayan media is just looking for a scapegoat.
Indians know all about bureaucratic delays. At least they got sorted in a few hours. We wait months for passport renewals! But honestly, FIFA should have contingency plans – they're hosting the biggest sporting event on earth.
As someone who travels for work between US and Mexico, this happens all the time. The permit system is archaic. Blaming FIFA might be premature – it could have been the airline's fault. The real issue is outdated aviation bureaucracy.
Remember when India's cricket team got stuck in airport for 12 hours during World Cup? This is nothing. But for a team that's here to compete, even a 2-hour delay messes with their preparation and sleep schedule. Hope Uruguay still plays well! 🇺🇾⚽
The article says 'two to three hours' – that's not exactly chaos. In India, we call that 'normal Friday evening on Mumbai local train'. But I get it, professional athletes need their routines. Hope FIFA learns from this for 2026 World Cup in US/Canada/Mexico.
L We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.