GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa had said Luis de la Fuente’s Spain play “exquisite” football. “Much more beautiful than what I’ve achieved,” Bielsa said ahead of this decisive World Cup Group H match.
But in Spain’s hard-fought 1-0 win on a humid, stormy evening in Guadalajara, Mexico, there wasn’t much exquisite football on display.
After the euphoria that greeted the 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in Atlanta — with Lamine Yamal back and shining in the starting XI — this game had more in common with Spain’s 0-0 draw with Cape Verde.
This match might have ended goalless, too, were it not for a goalkeeping howler from Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera, who spilled Álex Baena’s first-half shot into his own net. Bielsa substituted Muslera at halftime at the player’s request, according to the coach.
“No, I didn’t take [the decision]. It’s a decision Muslera took himself,” Bielsa said after the match.
Ever since the 2026 World Cup draw was made, this had been one of the most anticipated games of the group stage: The European champions taking on a historical great of South America. The prize on offer for the winning team was supposed to be avoiding Argentina in the round of 32 and ensuring a more comfortable route through the knockout stages.
But Uruguay’s draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde had changed the equation. Here, they weren’t just fighting for top spot, they were fighting to stay in the tournament. A defeat, and they would be eliminated; even a draw wouldn’t guarantee qualification as one of the third-placed teams.
By contrast, Spain’s mood was upbeat after their result against Saudi Arabia. The feeling was that this was a team which was steadily growing into the tournament, helped by the return to fitness of Yamal.
That progress wasn’t on display in Guadalajara. Instead, this was a false start.
“Perhaps we weren’t as brilliant as we wanted, or as we’ve shown on other occasions,” de la Fuente said after the match. “You cannot do that in football every single time. But this was an extremely, an extremely demanding match, quite rigorous. We were responsible, we maintained our concentration, our composure, our full strength, and we were trying not to be provocative, as well.”
De la Fuente made two changes to his starting XI, introducing Marcos Llorente for Pedro Porro at right back and Mikel Merino for Dani Olmo in midfield. Neither change had a positive impact. Llorente didn’t combine as well with Yamal as Porro had against the Saudis, and Olmo’s movement between the lines and ability to pick a final ball were missed. The result for most of the game was a disjointed, half-speed Spain.
Bielsa’s Uruguay played their part. The veteran coach — in what will be his last game in charge of Uruguay — insisted prematch that his side couldn’t sit back and defend; they had to go at Spain.
“Allowing them to play, and giving them a lot of possession, will be in Spain’s favor,” Bielsa said. “Spain are worse the less they have of the ball.” Uruguay did look to press Spain and disrupt their passing. In the game’s first minute, they did just that, forcing an error by pressuring Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón.
But Spain started to take control, and in the game’s quarter, the pattern was set. Spain had 76% possession, but only two shots, neither on target. Uruguay didn’t have any.
When the goal came in the 42nd minute, it was thanks to Muslera. Baena’s shot should have been saved comfortably. Instead, Muslera palmed it into the corner of the net.
After the break, the game became bad-tempered. A poor tackle on Yamal from Uruguay defender Juan Sanabria saw him yellow-carded. There would be worse to come, with Uruguay’s Agustín Canobbio sent off for a reckless challenge on Spain’s Pau Cubarsí in added time, as both benches spilled onto the pitch, tempers frayed.
Meanwhile, Spain kept making bad decisions. Substitute Olmo sent a shot badly off-target from a promising position inside the box. Yamal tried to produce some individual trickery but went nowhere. Olmo turned, cleverly, away from his man, and then played a through ball to no one. Another substitute, Ferran Torres, hit the bar late on.
Despite what we’ve seen already from at this tournament from Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal and Pedri, there are still reasonable doubts about this Spain team. One of them is in goal. Unai Simón was deeply unconvincing here, spilling two first-half crosses and looking nervous with his feet. David Raya and Joan García are both on the Spain bench; De la Fuente is loyal to Simón.
In midfield, Rodri looked below par. He had the most touches of any Spain player and completed the most passes but offered no dynamism or forward momentum. Merino made no impact, and neither did Oyarzabal, with just one shot between the pair.
The good news is that Yamal played 76 minutes. The bad news is that he was unable to influence the game in the way he did against Saudi Arabia.
Of course, Spain’s problems are nothing compared to those of Uruguay. Bielsa’s team had its moments, but only created one “big chance,” for an xG (expected goals) of 0.20, and lost its discipline late on.
“We played to get seven points and we got two, and this is what describes my management and my performance,” Bielsa said afterward. “I needed to manage a team of players who are qualified, and I was unable to get more of them.”
The Mexican fans in the crowd enjoyed Uruguay’s struggles. “Cape Verde! Cape Verde!” they chanted toward the end, as it became clear which nation would be joining Spain in the round of 32.
Topping the group, and thus avoiding Argentina, was Spain’s objective here. In that, they were successful. But eventually, they still must face a really good team at this World Cup.
When that happens — perhaps in the round of 16 — they’ll need to do much more.
