The Uruguayan team arrived at the 2026 World Cup with the label of candidate to compete for the top positions, but after two days it still cannot clear up the doubts. The 2-2 draw against Cape Verde left Marcelo Bielsa's team in a compromised situation within Group H and with a clear mission heading into the final round: defeat Spain.

After the match, both the Argentine coach and the footballers Maximiliano Araujo and Agustín Canobbio agreed on the same diagnosis and the same obligation: win the next match.

Uruguay stumbles again and complicates its classification

After equalizing in their debut, the Uruguayan squad once again let points slip away in a duel that seemed to be under control. Despite coming back from behind against Cape Verde, the South Americans were unable to maintain their advantage and ended up giving up a draw that forced them to risk a large part of their aspirations on the last day.

The result becomes even more relevant after Spain's resounding victory over Saudi Arabia, a result that placed the Europeans in a favorable position within the group.

Maximiliano Araujo: “We have to win”

Although he scored again and added his second goal in the tournament, Maximiliano Araujo was self-critical of the team's performance.

“We didn't know how to take care of the result and we ended up suffering,” the Uruguayan attacker admitted to the cameras minutes after the draw against Cape Verde.

The footballer also regretted that the final reaction was not enough to keep the three points: “We looked for them until the end, but it wasn't enough,” he added.

When asked about the next duel against Spain and the situation of the group, his response was forceful: "Nothing happens with Spain's result today. We have to win."

Bielsa recognizes mistakes and aims for the decisive duel

Coach Marcelo Bielsa also did not hide his dissatisfaction with the performance shown by Uruguay.

"We had the conditions to win, but we gave the spotlight to the rival. We were in a position to avoid situations that we allowed in the end," explained the Argentine strategist in a press conference after the match.

The question about the clash against Spain was inevitable. His response made clear the urgency that exists in the celestial camp: “We need, we have to win,” he commented.

Canobbio asks for confidence before the clash with Spain

Another of the players who appeared before the media was Agustín Canobbio, who considered that the mistakes made ended up rewarding Cape Verde with a positive result.

"We must trust ourselves. Not only in this game, we must play our game," he said.

Regarding the commitment that will define a good part of Uruguay's future in the tournament, the midfielder reiterated the message that dominates within the locker room.

“We must play with the heads of the Uruguayans, trust in ourselves, play our game because we have to win,” he said.

Spain awaits a Uruguay forced to respond

The confrontation between Uruguay and Spain, scheduled for June 26 in Guadalajara, is shaping up to be one of the most attractive matches of the last day of the group stage.

While the Spanish team will arrive with confidence after regaining sensations in its second match, Uruguay will face the challenge with the pressure of demonstrating why it was considered one of the teams called to compete in the tournament.

After two consecutive draws and many doubts in its performance, La Celeste no longer hides its objective: to beat Spain and keep alive the dream of advancing to the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.