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Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0 on Friday, June 26, at the , Mexico, concluding Matchday 3 of the Group H of the 2026 World Cup, and qualified as the undisputed leader of their group with seven points.
The only goal of the match came in the 42nd minute, scored by Álex Baena, a 24-year-old midfielder from Villarreal, who made a precise shot to beat the Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. It was the first goal for the Andalusian player in this tournament and it proved enough to decide a match with few clear chances for both teams.
Muslera, who is 40 years old, did not return to the field after halftime: the coach Marcelo Bielsa replaced him with Sergio Rochet at the beginning of the second half, as part of the four substitutions made by La Celeste during the match. Uruguay also took off Federico Valverde in the 57th minute and José Sanabria in the 70th, in an attempt to turn the score around, which proved unsuccessful.
Baena himself received a yellow card in the 46th minute, right at the start of the second half, and was substituted in the 66th minute for Yeremy Pino. Meanwhile, Luis de la Fuente also made changes in the midfield and attack: Pedri and Mikel Merino were substituted in the 60th minute for Fabián Ruiz and Dani Olmo, while Lamine Yamal and Mikel Oyarzabal made way for Nico Williams and Ferran Torres in the 76th minute.
Spain had territorial dominance with 67% possession compared to Uruguay's 33%, although the shots were quite balanced: six for La Roja and five for La Celeste, with just one shot on target for each side. The corner kicks also highlighted Spain's control: six to one. Uruguay recorded five offsides compared to two for Spain, indicating the Celeste's struggles to find space behind the defense.
Regarding the cards, Uruguay accumulated three yellow cards —Sanabria (54'), Varela (58'), and De la Cruz (90')— compared to just one from Spain, that of Baena. The 13 fouls committed by Uruguay and the 14 by Spain reflect the physical intensity of a match with a lot at stake for both teams.
The match is part of a group stage that Spain began with a goalless draw against Cape Verde on June 15 in Atlanta, before thrashing Saudi Arabia 4-0 on June 21 with goals from Lamine Yamal, a double from Oyarzabal, and an own goal. Uruguay, on the other hand, arrived at this final match without any victories: they drew 1-1 with Saudi Arabia in the first round and 2-2 with Cape Verde in the second.
With the victory, with two wins, one draw, and no losses, five goals scored, and none conceded. Cape Verde advances as the second qualifier with three points, resulting from their three consecutive draws in the group stage. Uruguay is eliminated with two points—no wins, two draws, and one loss—just like Saudi Arabia, also with two points but with a worse goal difference (-4).
As the first of Group H, Spain will face the second-placed team from Group J in the Round of 32, a match scheduled for Thursday, July 2 in Inglewood, California, with Austria or Algeria being the likely opponents depending on the results from that group.
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