Uruguay National Team Stranded in Cancun Over US Entry Permits

Cancun, Quintana Roo — Uruguay’s national soccer team was stranded for nearly three hours in Cancun on Sunday due to missing permits to enter US airspace, the latest incident highlighting strict US immigration measures during the 2026 World Cup.

The Uruguayan squad, which had been based at the Mayakoba resort in Playa del Carmen, was scheduled to fly to Miami for Monday’s match against Saudi Arabia. However, their charter flight was delayed because FIFA staff had not processed the necessary international flight permits in time, according to Uruguayan media reports.

An Aeromexico aircraft was eventually arranged to complete the journey. The team arrived in the United States after the 24-hour pre-match deadline set by FIFA, though no sanctions have been announced since the delay was caused by FIFA’s own oversight.

The incident is the latest in a series of entry problems for World Cup participants. The United States has denied a visa to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, citing alleged ties to terrorist organizations. Iran’s team received visas to play but was not allowed to stay overnight in the US, forcing them to return to Mexico after each match. Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was detained for seven hours at Chicago airport due to a name similarity with a wanted person.