Montevideo, Uruguay – The Uruguayan Football Association has settled the controversy surrounding Manuel Ugarte’s injury, which he suffered during the match against Spain in the 2026 World Cup, after announcing the final diagnosis of the midfielder’s condition.
Ugarte had left the field with a severe injury during Uruguay’s 1-0 loss to Spain in the match held early Saturday morning, as part of the group stage competitions, which gave the Spanish team the top spot in the group and a ticket to the round of 32.
The Uruguayan Football Association explained in an official statement that medical examinations confirmed that Ugarte suffered a torn cruciate ligament in his knee, thus ending the doubts surrounding the extent of the injury.
The statement indicated that the tests were conducted in coordination with the medical staff of Manchester United, while initial estimates suggest that the player will be out of action for at least eight months.
Manchester United are expected to benefit from FIFA’s safeguards scheme, which compensates clubs for the salaries of their players during their participation with national teams in official tournaments.
Based on Ugarte’s weekly salary of £120,000, the English club could receive compensation close to £6 million for the duration of the player’s absence.
