Uruguay vs Spain Preview

Saturday morning’s Group H showpiece at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara pits two sides with genuine knockout ambitions against each other in a fixture that will define the shape of the group. Spain go into the final round of fixtures top on four points; Uruguay sit second on two points, level with Cape Verde on points and goal difference but ahead on head-to-head. A win for either side guarantees progression — Spain already have one foot through, while Uruguay are in a strong position but cannot afford to slip up with Cape Verde also in contention.

Uruguay have been frustratingly consistent in their inability to win throughout this campaign. Their most recent outing was a 2–2 draw at home against Cape Verde on 21st June — a result that left them second in the group but with question marks over their attacking penetration. Prior to that, they drew 1–1 away to Saudi Arabia on 15th June in their opening group game. Earlier in this run, pre-tournament form was similarly stubborn in the wrong direction — a 0–0 draw away in Algeria on 31st March, a 1–1 draw away against England on 27th March, and a heavy 5–1 defeat away to the USA on 19th November 2025 complete a sequence of four draws and one defeat. Uruguay are difficult to beat but have not won in five matches, which is a significant concern heading into a contest of this magnitude.

Spain, in contrast, have been in excellent form and look like genuine contenders. Their most recent outing was a commanding 4–0 home win over Saudi Arabia on 21st June — a display that underlined their attacking quality and set up this final group game in a position of comfort. Prior to that, they drew 0–0 at home with Cape Verde on 15th June — a result that surprised many but showed the tournament is rarely straightforward. Earlier in this run, a 3–1 win away in Peru on 9th June demonstrated their clinical edge, a 1–1 draw at home to Iraq on 4th June was a minor stumble, and a 0–0 draw at home to Egypt on 31st March rounds out a sequence of two wins and three draws. Spain are the stronger side on paper and will see this as an opportunity to book top spot and hit form heading into the last sixteen.

In Group H, Spain lead on four points with a goal difference of +4. Uruguay sit second on two points with a goal difference of zero. Cape Verde are third on two points — level with Uruguay on all counts but trailing on head-to-head, having drawn 2–2 in their meeting. Saudi Arabia are fourth on one point with a goal difference of -4. A Spain win here seals top spot; a Uruguay win puts them through in second. A draw keeps Spain top and Uruguay through, but only if Cape Verde fail to beat Saudi Arabia.

The head-to-head record heavily favours Spain, who have won four of the last five meetings, with one draw and no wins at all for Uruguay. Most recently, Spain won 2–1 at home in a Confederations Cup fixture in June 2013. In the previous encounter, Spain won 3–1 at home in a friendly in February 2013.

In Spain, the match is live on TVE La 1, RTVE Play, and DAZN Spain. In the UK, viewers can follow on ITV 1 and ITVX, with radio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live. In Uruguay, audiences can catch the action on Canal 5 Uruguay, AUF TV, and DIRECTV Sports Uruguay. US viewers can follow on FOX Network, fuboTV, Telemundo, and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo.

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Lineups & Injuries

Uruguay (4-2-3-1) Muslera, Varela, Cáceres, Olivera, Bentancur, Valverde, Viñas, Canobbio, Ugarte, Araújo, Sanabria

Spain (4-1-2-3) Simón, Cucurella, Laporte, Cubarsí, Porro, Rodri, Pedri, Baena, Lamine Yamal, Olmo, Oyarzabal

Uruguay: No missing players listed.

Spain: No missing players listed.

Both sides go into this fixture with a clean bill of health, allowing both coaches to name their strongest available selections for what is the most important group stage fixture either side has faced.

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Group H Table

Pos.	Team	MP	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	P
1	Spain	2	1	1	0	4	0	+4	4
2	Uruguay	2	0	2	0	3	3	0	2
3	Cape Verde Islands	2	0	2	0	2	2	0	2
4	Saudi Arabia	2	0	1	1	1	5	-4	1

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Uruguay Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
🤝	Uruguay	2–2	Cape Verde	World Cup	21-06-26
🤝	Saudi Arabia	1–1	Uruguay	World Cup	15-06-26
🤝	Algeria	0–0	Uruguay	Friendly	31-03-26
🤝	England	1–1	Uruguay	Friendly	27-03-26
❌	USA	5–1	Uruguay	Friendly	19-11-25

Spain Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
✅	Spain	4–0	Saudi Arabia	World Cup	21-06-26
🤝	Spain	0–0	Cape Verde	World Cup	15-06-26
✅	Peru	1–3	Spain	Friendly	09-06-26
🤝	Spain	1–1	Iraq	Friendly	04-06-26
🤝	Spain	0–0	Egypt	Friendly	31-03-26

Head-to-Head

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
Spain	2–1	Uruguay	Friendly	16-06-13
Spain	3–1	Uruguay	Friendly	06-02-13
Spain	2–0	Uruguay	Friendly	17-08-05
Spain	2–2	Uruguay	Friendly	18-01-95
Spain	2–1	Uruguay	Friendly	04-09-91

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TV Listings / Streaming

Country	Channel
Great Britain	ITV 1 UK, ITVX, STV Scotland, BBC Radio 5 Live
Ireland Republic	ITV 1 UK, RTE 2, ITVX, RTE Player, BBC Radio 5 Live
Spain	DAZN Spain, TVE La 1, RTVE Play, Movistar+
Uruguay	DIRECTV Sports Uruguay, DGO, AUF TV, Canal 5 Uruguay, Paramount+
USA	FOX Network, fuboTV, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FOX One
Germany	ORF eins, SRF zwei, MagentaTV
France	beIN Sports 1, beIN SPORTS CONNECT, myCANAL
Australia	SBS, SBS On Demand
Canada	TSN+, TSN1, RDS
Mexico	Canal 5 Televisa, Azteca 7, TUDN En Vivo, ViX Mexico