Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit

Uruguay’s football federation reportedly canceled the team’s scheduled charter flight after the side was eliminated from the World Cup during the group stage. Multiple reports in Uruguayan media said the federation canceled the squad’s flight from the training base in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, to Montevideo, the home capital. Instead, players were left to return on commercial flights. Uruguay entered the tournament ranked No. 16 by FIFA and finished as the top-rated team among those that did not reach the round of 32. La Celeste earned a 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia, then let a second-half lead slip to a 2-2 tie with Cape Verde. They lost 1-0 to Spain on Friday after a goalkeeping mistake, with captain Jose Maria Gimenez on the bench for all three matches. Coach Marcelo Bielsa and Gimenez later commented on the disappointment.