Uruguay scrap team chartered flight after early World Cup exit

Uruguay's early FIFA World Cup exit has prompted an unusual logistical decision, with the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) cancelling the team's chartered flight home following their elimination in the group stage.

According to Uruguayan media outlets El País and Tenfield, the AUF abandoned its original plan to fly the entire squad and coaching staff from the team's base camp in Mexico to Montevideo on a chartered aircraft after Uruguay's World Cup campaign came to an abrupt end.

Instead, players and staff will return separately on commercial flights. While some are expected to travel back to Uruguay, others will head directly to their respective clubs to begin preparations for the new season.

Uruguay's hopes of reaching the knockout stage unraveled in Group H. Draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde left Marcelo Bielsa's side needing victory in their final group match, but a 1-0 defeat to Spain sealed their elimination.

The result saw Spain and Cape Verde advance to the Round of 32, while Uruguay finished third in the group with just two points from three matches.

It marks a second consecutive World Cup in which the two-time champions have failed to progress beyond the group stage, following their disappointing exit in Qatar in 2022.

The latest setback adds another painful chapter to the history of one of football's most decorated nations. Uruguay won the inaugural FIFA World Cup in 1930 and famously lifted their second title in 1950 after defeating Brazil in the historic "Maracanazo."

With another early exit now confirmed, attention has already shifted to the future of the national team. Questions are mounting over the coaching setup, squad rebuilding and the direction of Uruguayan football ahead of the next international cycle.

The decision to cancel the team's chartered flight has further highlighted the sense of disappointment surrounding Uruguay's failed World Cup campaign.