Uruguay's national football team has arrived in Miami for their opening World Cup match against Saudi Arabia, following a significant delay that saw them land in the United States less than 24 hours before kickoff.

The squad and support staff touched down in Miami on Sunday, with their arrival dramatically shortened following a series of travel complications originating from their training base in Mexico.

Uruguay has pointed to FIFA as the cause of the flight disruption, which included administrative issues and missing paperwork that prevented their original flight from departing Mexico. The team faced potential sanctions if key personnel, including the head coach and captain, could not attend a mandatory pre-match press conference.

The delay has raised questions about the logistical challenges of the expanded 48-team World Cup format, with FIFA responsible for all team travel arrangements. The team was training in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, and had to be rerouted after discovering they were not authorized to enter the US upon reaching Cancun airport.

According to the Uruguay Football Association (AUF), a secondary aircraft was dispatched from South Florida to pick up the squad. Players and staff waited at a resort near Cancun until the replacement flight's arrival. The AUF stated that the delay was due to "problems beyond the control of the AUF," and that FIFA had set a new departure time of 4:15 PM local time.

FIFA acknowledged the delay was caused by "an airline permitting error in Mexico" and issued an apology for the inconvenience. The governing body stated it remained in close contact with the Uruguayan team and worked with operational partners to minimize disruption.

As a result of the travel issues, Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa and team captain Jose Maria Gimenez missed their originally scheduled pre-match news conference. The conference was rescheduled to 8 PM Eastern Time, and both were in attendance. Gimenez described the trip positively, noting it provided an opportunity to rest.

Uruguay's Group H match against Saudi Arabia is scheduled to commence on Monday, June 15, marking a tight turnaround for the team after their travel ordeal.