Spain has secured its place in the last 32 of the FIFA World Cup as Group H winners, following a victory over Uruguay. The match saw Alex Baena score a late first-half goal for Spain, with the ball squirming over the hands of Fernando Muslera. This result means Uruguay has been eliminated from the group stage for the second consecutive time.
The European champions were already in a strong position to progress before the match, but Baena’s strike in the 42nd minute confirmed their top spot in the group. They will now face the runners-up of Group J in the next stage of the tournament. Uruguay, managed by Marcelo Bielsa, needed a positive outcome to advance but ultimately suffered defeat, ending their campaign with two points from three games.
Match Incidents and Player Changes
The opening half of the match saw Uruguay apply pressure on Spain. However, Spain took the lead when Baena turned and delivered a low shot that eluded Muslera, despite the goalkeeper getting both hands on the ball. This incident occurred after Manuel Ugarte of Uruguay went down following a challenge, with Uruguay expressing dissatisfaction that the ball was not put out of play. Ugarte, a midfielder for Manchester United, received treatment and was eventually stretchered off the pitch.
Muslera, who was making his 137th appearance, was substituted at half-time and replaced by Sergio Rochet. This change followed what was described as Muslera’s third error leading to a goal in as many games. Despite the change, Spain maintained control in the second half, though they were unable to add a second goal. Uruguay attempted a late push to salvage their tournament hopes but did not seriously test Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon.
Former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez, who was back in the starting lineup for Uruguay, had two clear opportunities within two minutes shortly after the first-half hydration break but failed to convert. Bielsa’s side had been in the ascendancy before Muslera’s error, and it was only in the final 10 minutes that they began to pose a threat to Simon. Spain substitute Ferran Torres hit the crossbar late in the game, as Spain secured their second victory of the tournament. This marks the first time Spain has achieved multiple wins at a World Cup since their triumph in 2010.
Group H Standings and Tactical Approaches
With this result, Spain finishes at the top of Group H with seven points. Uruguay, meanwhile, finished in third position in the group with two points, leading to their elimination. Marcelo Bielsa has now failed to advance past the group stage in two of his three FIFA World Cup campaigns, previously with Argentina in 2002 and now with Uruguay in 2026. His only successful group-stage progression came with Chile in 2010.
Both Spain and Uruguay are known for their distinct tactical approaches. Spain had an expected goals (xG) of 4.4 across their two games prior to this match, scoring four goals against Saudi Arabia. Defensively, they had conceded an expected goals against (xGA) of 0.34 in their matches against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. Uruguay, with their high-octane style, had an xG of 4.04 in their two previous games, though they had conceded first in both.
Uruguay’s main attacking threat often comes from crosses, having delivered 47 balls into the box against Saudi Arabia and 16 against Cape Verde. Federico Vinas, a key striker for Uruguay, had five shots in their first game, all of which were headers, with three hitting the target. Domestically, Vinas averaged over one headed shot per game in La Liga this season. However, these efforts were not enough to secure progression for Uruguay in this tournament. The match officials included Ismail Elfath as the referee and Tatiana Guzman as the Video Assistant Referee.
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Source: bbc.com
