Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a crucial Group H match, with Alex Baena scoring the decisive goal. This victory secured Spain's top spot in the group and a place in the World Cup knockout stage, while Uruguay, managed by Marcelo Bielsa, was eliminated from the tournament. Cape Verde also advanced from the group.
Maxi Araujo scored a late equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw for Uruguay in their World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia on Monday, preventing another stunning upset in Group H after Spain's earlier goalless draw with Cape Verde.
Saudi Arabia coach Georgios Donis said his players lacked self-confidence in the second as they failed to hold on to their lead with Maxi Araujo equalising for Uruguay in the 2nd half.
Cape Verde pulled off a stunning 2-2 draw against two-time World Cup winners Uruguay in Miami on Sunday.
A record eight players aged 40 or older have been selected to play at the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States - one more than at all the past 22 tournaments combined.
The official 26-man squads for FIFA World Cup 2026.
Uruguay captain Diego Godin praised his team mates as 'lions' after reaching the World Cup quarter-finals but falling 2-0 to France
FIFA also opened proceedings against the Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) over potential breaches of fair play rules.
Francisco Moura's second-half strike earned hosts Porto a 1-1 draw against 10-man AS Roma in the first leg of their Europa League knockout round play-off on Thursday.
Gianluigi Buffon saved three kicks in a shootout as Italy beat Uruguay 3-2 on penalties to take third place in the 2014 Confederations Cup on Sunday following a 2-2 draw.
Raphael Varane's glancing header and a goalkeeping blunder that gifted Antoine Griezmann a soft goal gave France a 2-0 victory over Uruguay in the first World Cup quarter-final on Friday and a set up a last-four tie with Brazil or Belgium.
Pedro extended his recent purple patch for Spain when he struck twice to help the world and European champions to a 3-1 win over Uruguay in a friendly in Qatar on Wednesday.
FIFA launched proceedings against the players who angrily harangued the referee after crashing out of the tournament in Qatar, despite beating Ghana 2-0 in their final group match on December 2.
Lazio goalkeeper Fernando Muslera watched in horror as Marco Borriello's weak penalty crept under his body and dribbled into the net to help city rivals AS Roma to a 2-0 win over the Serie A leaders on Sunday.
Lazio beat Sampdoria 6-5 on penalties to lift the Italian Cup after Wednesday's final at the Stadio Olimpico finished 1-1 following extra-time.
Goalkeeping howlers have been scarce at the World Cup but Fernando Muslera's mistake proved fatal for Uruguay in their 2-0 quarter-final defeat by France on Friday just as much as a brilliant stop from Hugo Lloris kept his side ahead.
Colombia reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time after a double from James Rodriguez gave them a 2-0 win over Uruguay in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.
Arsenal and Galatasaray are facing disciplinary action after supporters of the Turkish club lit red flares and threw them onto the pitch, briefly holding up play, in their Champions League group match on Wednesday.
Luis Suarez returned from injury to give Uruguay a 1-0 lead in the first half in their World Cup Group D match against England on Friday.
A stoppage time strike from Burak Yilmaz earned Galatasaray a 1-1 draw with Anderlecht in their opening Group D Champions League fixture on Tuesday after Dennis Praet had put the visitors on course for victory.
A goal by Salomon Rondon gave Venezuela an upset 1-0 win over Uruguay in Philadelphia on Thursday that put them on the verge of the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals with the record 15-times champions facing elimination. When midfielder Alejandro Guerra lobbed Fernando Muslera from more than 30 metres, the Uruguay goalkeeper chased back but only managed to tip the ball onto the bar and striker Rondon raced in to tap it into the net in the 36th minute. Venezuela, who beat Jamaica 1-0 in their opening Group C match, have six points, three more than Mexico, who beat Uruguay 3-1 on Sunday and were playing the Jamaicans later on Thursday in Pasadena. For Venezuela, looking for their maiden title, it was a first win in nine Copa America meetings with Uruguay while Rondon became the first "Vinotinto" (red wine) player to score at three tournaments.
Danny Welbeck's hat-trick in a 4-1 thrashing of a feeble Galatasaray side helped ignite Arsenal's Champions League campaign in a lop-sided Group D clash in north London on Wednesday.
Two goals in four dramatic second-half minutes set lowly Costa Rica on their way to a deserved 3-1 victory over Uruguay on Saturday in the biggest upset of the World Cup so far.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted a superb goal just four minutes into his Manchester United debut and promised that there would be much more to come after they thrashed Turkish side Galatasaray 5-2 in a friendly in Gothenburg on Saturday.
A summary of Thursday's World Cup qualifiers.
Chile bundled reigning champions Uruguay out of the Copa America with a 1-0 victory.
Defender Diego Godin scored a dramatic goal nine minutes from time to send Uruguay through to the World Cup last 16 after a 1-0 win over Italy, on Tuesday, which sent the four-times champions home.
European champions Portugal came up against a superior version of themselves as they were knocked out of the World Cup by Uruguay on Saturday. Although Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo will grab the headlines -- the former for his two brilliantly goals and the latter for what could well be his World Cup farewell -- Uruguay owed their 2-1 win to a superb all-round performance.
Suarez spurned the first penalty of the shootout, his effort bouncing off the chest of Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, to complete a frustrating evening for Uruguay's all-time top scorer, who also had a goal ruled out for offside.
In the other match of the night, Jamaica 'keeper blunder hands Paraguay 1-0 win
Uruguay's Cristian Rodriguez scored a soft goal in the holders' laboured 1-0 win over outsiders Jamaica when they opened their defence of their Copa America title on Saturday.
Inspired by 24-year-old playmaker Shoya Nakajima and forward Takumi Minamino, who finished the night with a brace, Japan stunned Oscar Tabarez's side, who are ranked fifth in the world.
But despite some early close attempts from Uruguay, Japan began to impose themselves on the game and Koji Miyoshi gave them the lead in the 25th minute with a confident finish following a counterattack.
A round-up of Sunday's action in the South American World Cup qualifiers.
Roundup of the Champions League matches played on Wednesday night
Messi was Argentina's key man in their 1-0 win.
Paraguay drew 1-1 with Uruguay at the Copa America to go top of Group B, one point ahead of Argentina before the tournament favourites take on eliminated Jamaica later on Saturday.
Chile beat Ecuador 2-1 in their closing South American qualifier in Santiago on Tuesday as both went through automatically to the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.
Mexico scored twice in the final five minutes to beat Uruguay 3-1 in a pulsating Copa America Group C match in which each side had a man sent off on Sunday.
Lionel Messi marked his retirement about face with a goal to give 10-man Argentina a 1-0 win over Uruguay on Thursday that lifted them to the top of the South American qualifying group for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.
