Alex Baena settled Uruguay vs Spain in the 42nd minute, and Spain left Group H with a 1-0 win after Fernando Muslera misplayed the shot. The result sent Uruguay out of the World Cup and closed Spain's group stage with no goals conceded.
Baena Punishes Muslera
The only goal came from a low strike that Muslera could not keep out. Baena took the chance in the 42nd minute, and Spain never gave the lead back.
That finish decided the match, but the sequence mattered more than the scoreline alone. Uruguay had defended well for long stretches and still lost on one goalkeeper error, the kind of margin that ends a tournament faster than any extended collapse.
Spain Finish Group H Cleanly
Spain's 1-0 result mattered because it finished Group H without conceding a goal. In a final group match, that is the cleanest possible route through: one goal was enough, and the back line and Unai Simon did the rest.
Ferran Torres had already nearly doubled the advantage when he hit the crossbar after a clear chance. Nicolas de la Cruz then tested Unai Simon from distance, but the save kept Uruguay from turning pressure into an equalizer.
Dani Olmo also became part of the late control of the match when he kicked Federico Vinas inside the area, yet the referee and VAR did not award a foul. The game stayed with Spain, and that decision preserved the 1-0 margin into the final minutes.
Urugwaj Exit On One Error
Uruguay's response never matched the chance it created. Marcelo Bielsy's side had enough defensive structure to keep the score close, but it still left Group H with an exit stamped by a single mistake from Muslera.
That finish leaves a clear picture for anyone tracking the group: Spain advanced as the winner, and Uruguay's campaign ended in the final match. Canobbio's red card in the 90+5th minute for a violent foul only underlined how the night slipped away before the final whistle.
