Spain secured a place in the World Cup knockout rounds with a narrow 1-0 victory over Uruguay on Friday, a result that condemned the South American giants to an early exit from the tournament.
The decisive moment came three minutes before halftime when Álex Baena’s effort slipped past veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
The 40-year-old failed to deal cleanly with the shot, marking his third costly error of the competition.
Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa replaced Muslera at the break after the mistake.
The win ensured Spain finished top of Group H with seven points and booked a last-32 clash against the runner-up from Group J, either Austria or Algeria, in Inglewood, California, on Thursday.
Uruguay, twice crowned world champions in 1930 and 1950, ended their campaign without a single victory after drawing against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde before losing to Spain. Ranked 19th in the world, they became the highest-ranked nation eliminated from the tournament so far.
Cape Verde claimed second place in the group after a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia.
The island nation finished on three points, one ahead of both Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Uruguay placed third but failed to earn enough points to qualify among the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
The final whistle sparked emotional scenes as several Uruguay players broke down in tears on the pitch. Sections of their supporters voiced their frustration, booing the team as they departed.
Despite the high-profile nature of the encounter, clear-cut opportunities were scarce. Uruguay pressed for an equaliser late on and appealed strongly for a penalty after Federico Viñas went down inside the box, but the referee waved play on.
Tempers flared in stoppage time when Uruguay’s Agustín Canobbio received a red card for a challenge on Spain defender Paul Cubarsí.
Teammates had to usher him off the field, and he later returned to protest the decision to the referee after the match.
Uruguay entered the game under mounting pressure following disappointing draws in their opening two matches.
Reports in the Uruguayan media suggested tensions within the squad and dissatisfaction among some players with Bielsa’s management.
Spain, seeking a second World Cup crown after their 2010 triumph, recovered well from an opening 0-0 draw with Cape Verde.
A convincing 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia had already boosted their confidence heading into the decisive group fixture.
Teenage star Lamine Yamal, still recovering from a left hamstring issue, was unable to make a major impact. The 18-year-old was substituted in the 76th minute after another subdued display.
Uruguay suffered an additional setback before halftime when midfielder Manuel Ugarte was forced off with an apparent knee injury.
He received lengthy treatment on the pitch and was eventually stretchered off shortly after Spain took the lead.
Among the 45,065 spectators at Estadio Akron was King Felipe VI of Spain. Before kick-off, both teams observed a moment of silence in honour of the victims of the powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on Wednesday.
