Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte has vowed to come back stronger after suffering a serious left knee ligament injury that has left him at "rock bottom."

Lamine Yamal starts for Spain against Uruguay in theirWorld Cup ​Group H match on Friday, as coach ‌Luis de la Fuente makes three changes from the side which beat Saudi Arabia 4-0.

Ricardo Mazalan is AP’s Latin America deputy director of storytelling and photos. He is veteran of World Cups, dating back to France 1998. Mazalan his also worked numerous Olympics. Why this photo? Spain versus Uruguay was the only group-stage clash between two former World Cup champions and one of the most anticipated matches of the opening round.

After Marcelo Bielsa's squad failed to win a match at the 2026 World Cup, the team will fly home on separate commercial flights rather than on a team charter.

The 2026 World Cup group stage wasn’t predictable. Sure, favorites have dominated at the top of every group, but there’s been a lot of unforeseen outcomes. Who could have guessed that Cape Verde and DR Congo would get draws against Spain and Portugal,

Fernando Muslera has had a poor tournament for Uruguay and was replaced at halftime of the South Americans' World Cup group finale against Spain.

The second match in Group H also ended with a surprise. Following Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw with Spain, Saudi Arabia secured a 1-1 draw against Uruguay.