South Korea holds 7th place in third-place standings

Spain's Alex Baena (left) celebrates after scoring during a Group H match against Uruguay at Estadio Guadalajara in Mexico on Saturday (Korean time). [AP]
Spain's Alex Baena (left) celebrates after scoring during a Group H match against Uruguay at Estadio Guadalajara in Mexico on Saturday (Korean time). [AP]

Spain defeated Uruguay in Group H of the 2026 FIFA North America World Cup, keeping alive one of South Korea's five remaining paths to the round of 32.

Spain beat Uruguay 1-0 on Saturday (Korean time) in their third Group H match at Estadio Guadalajara in Mexico. The victory lifted Spain to the top of Group H with two wins and a draw, while Uruguay were eliminated with two draws and a loss.

Spain started Baena, Oyarzabal, Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Rodri, Merino, Cucurella, Cubarsí, Laporte, Llorente and Simón.

Uruguay fielded Valverde — a key midfielder for Real Madrid — alongside Bentancur (Tottenham), a former teammate of Son Heung-min, as well as Araújo, Núñez, Canobbio, Ugarte, Sanabria, Olivera, Cáceres, Varela and Muslera.

Spain controlled the match for much of the game, building play through the right flank where Lamine Yamal was positioned. Uruguay looked to counter, capitalizing on Spanish passing errors and attacking down the wings.

Spain broke the deadlock amid a fierce battle for possession. Around the 42nd minute, Baena's shot slipped through the hands of Uruguay goalkeeper Muslera, giving Spain a 1-0 lead.

Uruguay attempted a second-half turnaround, replacing their goalkeeper and pressing high to force Spanish mistakes. Their players repeatedly committed rough fouls, earning several yellow cards, and the team struggled to find a way back into the match.

Spain looked to extend their lead in the middle of the second half, bringing on Fabián Ruiz and Dani Olmo for Pedri and Merino respectively. Around the 63rd minute, Lamine Yamal drove forward and delivered a sharp cross, but Olmo could not convert.

Spain then swapped Baena, Oyarzabal and Lamine Yamal for Pino, Nico Williams and Ferran Torres in search of a second goal. Around the 85th minute, Ferran Torres found himself in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper but struck the post.

As Uruguay grew frustrated, Canobbio committed a reckless foul and was sent off after accumulating yellow cards, tilting the game decisively in Spain's favor. Spain held on to claim the victory.

With Spain's win, South Korea remained in seventh place in the race among third-placed teams for a round-of-32 berth. At this World Cup, the top eight third-placed finishers across all groups advance to the knockout stage.

South Korea's chances of advancing had fallen to around 30 percent after Senegal thrashed Iraq 5-0 earlier. Spain's victory, however, rekindled hope for Hong Myung-bo's side to reach the round of 32.


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com