Spain beats Uruguay 1-0, tops Group H at World Cup 2026

Álex Baena’s 42nd-minute finish gave Spain a 1-0 win over Uruguay at Guadalajara Stadium and locked up first place in Group H, while La Celeste were left out of the World Cup 2026 knockout stage. The decisive moment came after a low shot from Marcos Llorente from the left slipped through Fernando Muslera’s hands, and Baena was first to the loose ball.

Spain controlled long stretches of the match and managed the game with the calm of a team built for margin-for-margin football. Muslera was replaced at halftime by Sergio Rochet, but Uruguay could not turn the change into a response. Instead, their night ended with another blow in stoppage time when Agustín Canobbio was sent off for a foul on Pau Cubarsí, a final flashpoint in a match Uruguay needed to rescue and never did.

The result mattered beyond the group table. It was Spain’s first victory over Uruguay in a World Cup, after their two previous meetings in the tournament had ended level, including the 2-2 draw in Brazil 1950. For Spain, the win carried the practical reward of top spot in Group H and a more favorable path through the bracket. The group winner will meet the runner-up from Group J in Los Angeles on 2 July in the round of 32.

Uruguay’s exit lands hard because of what was at stake and what the team has built around this cycle. Marcelo Bielsa’s side arrived at its 15th World Cup and its fifth straight appearance since returning to the knockout stage in South Africa 2010. FIFA notes that Uruguay remain one of the game’s great national teams, with world titles in 1930 and 1950, but also that this squad is in transition after the retirements of Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez.

The tournament format leaves little room for recovery. In 2026, the top two teams from each group advance, along with the eight best third-placed sides, and Spain’s result made the math impossible for Uruguay. One mistake, one goal and one missed opening were enough to separate a contender from a team whose margin for error had already disappeared.