Uruguay's journey to the FIFA World Cup has encountered an unexpected obstacle following reports that the team was unable to fly into the United States due to aircraft paperwork issues. With less than 24 hours remaining before their Group H opener against Saudi Arabia, the South American side was stranded in Mexico as officials worked urgently to find a solution. The situation has raised fresh concerns about travel and entry procedures at a tournament that has already seen several immigration-related problems involving teams and officials.
Uruguay faces USA entry issue ahead of Saudi Arabia World Cup match
According to Uruguayan journalist Rodrigo Romano, problems were identified with the official documents associated with the aircraft intended to transport the team from Cancún to Miami. Due to this issue, the flight could not immediately receive approval to enter U.S. territory. Romano shared the update on X, stating: "At this hour, there are issues with the official paperwork for the aircraft bringing Uruguay to the United States. An urgent solution is being sought to allow the flight from Cancún to Miami, but the plane has some procedures that are not approved for entry into U.S. territory. The squad is at the Mayakoba Complex waiting for updates. Uruguay must land no later than 7:00 p.m."
The Uruguay squad remained at the Mayakoba Complex while officials worked on resolving the problem. The team is scheduled to face Saudi Arabia on Monday night in its opening match of the tournament.
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The latest travel issue comes after several other entry-related problems connected to the tournament. Earlier, Somalia's Omar Artan, widely regarded as Africa's top referee, was reportedly denied entry into the United States and was unable to officiate at the competition. Group H also includes Cape Verde and Spain, who are set to play before Uruguay's scheduled clash with Saudi Arabia.
Questions have also been raised about travel access for Iran. The Iranian football federation recently said FIFA President Gianni Infantino had not delivered on promises to ensure full access for federation officials to attend the team's three matches in the United States. The U.S. State Department said the visa requests had been rejected because it "will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the U.S. under false pretenses."
As of now, the exact issue with the aircraft paperwork linked to Uruguay's travel plans has not been publicly explained. Officials continue working to ensure the team reaches the United States in time for its World Cup opener.
