World Cup team banned from entering United States just hours before first match

Uruguay's national team plane was refused entry into the United States ahead of their 2026 World Cup clash with Saudi Arabia. Uruguay are scheduled to face Saudi Arabia in their opening Group H fixture in Miami, Florida, at 11pm on Monday, having been based in Cancun, Mexico, for pre-match training.

Head coach Marcelo Bielsa and defender Jose Maria Gimenez were also due to face the media on Sunday. Yet the Uruguayans found themselves embroiled in a logistical nightmare ahead of Monday's clash, with the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) laying the blame firmly at FIFA's door over the travel fiasco.

The aircraft chartered to fly the squad from Cancun to Miami had been denied authorisation to enter the United States. A replacement aircraft was subsequently arranged, prompting the federation to release an official statement.

"Due to problems beyond the control of the AUF, the departure from Mexico has been delayed," the AUF's statement read. "The squad is resting at the hotel. The new departure time set by FIFA is 4.15pm."

An AUF spokesperson also confirmed to the outlet that FIFA were responsible for the delays. Should Bielsa and Gimenez fail to appear at the scheduled press conference, the AUF could face sanctions from FIFA.

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This is not the first time Bielsa has found himself embroiled in a logistical dispute involving a side he has managed. Bielsa was openly critical of the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America, hosted by the United States, arguing that the planning and organisation fell considerably short of what had been publicly promised.

"They do press conferences and say 'No, the fields are perfect, the training pitches are perfect.'... I have all the photos that show that these are all lies," Bielsa said at the time.

"The United States, I'll remind you, when they felt their interests were being attacked, they created FIFAGate. With the FBI. They did what they did, but it was for their interests.

Head coach of Uruguay Marcelo Bielsa speaks during a press conference ahead of the the FIFA World Cup 2026, at Complejo Uruguay

Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa has previously spoken out about the struggles of traveling to and from the United States (Image: Getty Images)

"Here? Nothing happened. This was a fantastic party, a competitive tournament, there's nothing to complain about."

The squad is currently housed at a hotel approximately 45 minutes from the airport, and this latest episode is merely one in a series of travel difficulties that have beset various nations and officials in recent days.

Omar Artan was refused entry into the United States despite being listed as an authorised member of staff. Iran claimed its fan ticket allocation had been withdrawn, although the squad itself touched down in the United States after Donald Trump announced a peace agreement.

Prior to their arrival, Iran had been conducting training sessions in Tijuana, Mexico, in order to acclimatise to the climatic conditions at their proposed base in Arizona.

Iranian striker Medhi Taremi was highly critical of the United States as a host nation, telling ESPN: "I've been to three World Cups, and they always say once you get off the plane and you enter the host country, there's just a unique atmosphere of friendliness and global-ness.

"Unfortunately, I'm not feeling it right now. There's a lot of tension right now in this World Cup. You feel it in the atmosphere, and unfortunately, it's because of actions like [visa denials]. Maybe that's just my personal feeling."

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