Uruguay’s flight from Mexico to Miami for their World Cup opener was about four hours delayed on Sunday because of an airline mistake, FIFA said.
Scheduled to face Saudi Arabia on Monday in Group H, Uruguay are based in Playa del Carmen.
Uruguay’s national team was delayed in Cancun on its way to Miami due to an airline permitting error in Mexico. “The airline has expressed its regret for the inconvenience caused,” FIFA said in a statement.
The governing body also said they were in regular contact with the team during the delay and liaised with airport and operational partners to help expedite the process and reduce disruption to teams travel arrangements.
Coach Marcelo Bielsa said the delay had not posed problems for his side, and skipper Jose Maria Gimenez explained that they made the best from it.
“The trip was complicated, difficult, but we rested in the hotel as best we could and got here later,” said the defender.