Spain secured their place in the Round of 32 after beating Uruguay 1-0, with the winning goal scored by Alex Baena, while the South Americans were left out of the 2026 World Cup. Spain are through to the 2026 World Cup Round of 32 as Group H winners after a narrow but decisive 1-0 victory over Uruguay at Guadalajara Stadium, a result that also eliminates Marcelo Bielsa’s side from the tournament. For long stretches, this looked destined to finish level. Luis de la Fuente’s side dominated the ball from the opening whistle, racking up 74% possession in the first half alone, but Uruguay’s defense stood firm and gave up almost nothing in the way of clear chances. Rather than settling for a stalemate, Spain kept pushing, and their patience paid off right before the break. Alex Baena met a cross inside the area and fired off a shot that Fernando Muslera failed to deal with cleanly, the goalkeeper’s poor response allowing the ball to squirm in and hand La Roja a 1-0 lead at the interval. The second half saw Uruguay come out with far more purpose, pushing numbers forward in search of an equalizer that would have kept their World Cup hopes alive. Bielsa’s side created enough pressure to test Spain’s resolve, but they were unable to find the breakthrough they needed. Spain will now turn their attention to the Round of 32, where they will face the runner-up of Group J, which could be Austria or Algeria, while Uruguay’s 2026 World Cup campaign comes to a close.