Álex Baena Sparks Spain’s World Cup Campaign Against Uruguay

Álex Baena eased Spain’s nerves and ignited their World Cup campaign with a sharp, low finish late in the first half of their high‑stakes Group H clash with Uruguay.

With 42 minutes gone and tension building, Baena found the moment Spain had been searching for. His strike skidded awkwardly toward Fernando Muslera, the Uruguay goalkeeper wrong-footed as the ball bounced away from him and nestled into the corner. A scruffy path, a clean reward. Spain 1, Uruguay 0, and a giant step toward the round of 32.

This is a night Spain cannot afford to waste. La Roja came into the game top of Group H on four points, but still under scrutiny. A ruthless 4-0 dismantling of Saudi Arabia had briefly drowned out the noise from a startling goalless draw with Cape Verde in their opener. That stalemate reopened old questions about Spain’s cutting edge on the biggest stage.

Baena’s goal answered some of them.

Spain's Starting XI

Luis de la Fuente sent out a bold, technical XI in search of control and incision: Unai Simón behind a back four of Marcos Llorente, Pau Cubarsí, Aymeric Laporte and Marc Cucurella; Rodri wearing the armband in midfield alongside Mikel Merino and Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Baena and Mikel Oyarzabal forming a fluid front line. On paper, it is a team built to dominate the ball and suffocate opponents. On grass, they needed a breakthrough to prove it.

The pressure finally told just before the interval, Baena timing his run and strike to tilt the group in Spain’s favour. With that goal, Spain tightened their grip on first place and moved within reach of automatic progression from Group H.

The backdrop is impossible to ignore. This is a nation that scaled the summit in 2010 and returned to major-tournament glory by lifting the 2024 European Championship. The expectation now is not simply to advance, but to impose their identity on the 2026 World Cup.

Group Path

Their group path reflects that demanding standard. A frustrating 0-0 against Cape Verde on June 15. A statement 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia on June 21. Now Uruguay on June 26, with a ticket to the knockout rounds on the line and the bracket for the World Cup 2026 knockout stage looming.

Spain have the lead. They have the pedigree. The question is whether this goal from Baena becomes just a vital step out of the group, or the spark that lights another deep run on football’s biggest stage.