As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off, airplane delays are already getting in the way.
The Uruguay national team is blaming FIFA following an unexpected travel delay that will leave the squad arriving in South Florida less than 24 hours before its opening FIFA World Cup match.
The team’s charter flight from Cancun failed to secure U.S. entry clearance due to missing documentation. Telemundo reported that there had been a paperwork issue with the plane’s entry permits into the U.S. A second replacement plane had to be dispatched to retrieve the team, according to reports from The Athletic.
The Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) publicly attributed the travel chaos to soccer’s governing body. “Due to problems beyond the control of the AUF, the departure from Mexico has been delayed,” the federation stated before confirming that FIFA set a revised 4:15 p.m. departure time. Later, FIFA officials told USA Today that a technical issue with the airline’s permitting was to blame for the missing documentation.
Regardless of fault, this scheduling disruption forced Head coach Marcelo Bielsa and central defender Jose Maria Gimenez to suspend their mandatory Sunday pre-match press conference in Miami. Missing scheduled media duties during major tournaments like this results in disciplinary fines, adding an unwelcome layer of bureaucratic distraction as Uruguay prepares to face Saudi Arabia at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
As of the time of writing, the match will still be taking place on June 15th at 6:00 p.m.
