Fact-checked: November 7, 2026, 2:53 p.m. in Madrid, Central European Time (CET, UTC+01:00), corresponding to November 7, 2026, 13:53 UTC. This is the information-check time, not kickoff or publication time.
Spain and Uruguay have named their matchday teams for their World Rugby Nations Cup meeting on Saturday, November 7, 2026. The latest pregame development is the full Uruguay starting XV and eight replacements, adding to Spain’s already confirmed selection. Jon Zabala captains Los Leones and Manuel Leindekar leads Los Teros. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in Madrid (CET, UTC+01:00), or 15:00 UTC, at Estadio Nacional Universidad Complutense. At the time checked, the World Rugby match center had not posted a confirmed final score; this is a pregame update, not a result report.
The match is at Estadio Nacional Universidad Complutense, commonly called El Central, in Madrid, Spain. The Spanish Rugby Federation team announcement and the Uruguayan Rugby Union match announcement agree on the venue and kickoff. Spain returned to standard time in late October, so Madrid is on CET (UTC+01:00) on November 7, rather than summer time (CEST). Montevideo remains on UYT (UTC−03:00). The verified 15:00 UTC start therefore falls on the same calendar day in both cities.
| Fixture detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Competition | World Rugby Nations Cup 2026, round four |
| Date | Saturday, November 7, 2026 |
| Ground | Estadio Nacional Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain |
| Madrid time | 4:00 p.m. CET (UTC+01:00) |
| Coordinated Universal Time | 15:00 UTC |
| Montevideo time | 12:00 p.m. UYT (UTC−03:00) |
| Referee | Ben O’Keeffe (New Zealand) |
| Result | Not confirmed at the stated pregame check |
World Rugby’s World Rugby match center identifies Peter Martin and Robbie Jenkinson as the assistant referees and Paulo Duarte as television match official. World Rugby has also stated that this game is scheduled to be O’Keeffe’s 60th test as referee. Those are announced appointments, not assessments of events that have occurred on the field.
Spain head coach Pablo Bouza has selected a team led by prop Jon Zabala. Estanislao Bay and Bautista Güemes start together at scrum-half and fly-half. The numbers below correspond to matchday shirt numbers and positions, not a ranking. The 23-player selection comes from the Spanish Rugby Federation team announcement.
Oriol Marsinyac is among the replacements rather than the starting backs. Any appearance or scoring contribution will depend on the match itself; being named on the bench does not establish that a player has entered the field.
Uruguay has now identified its full starting XV and reserves for this Nations Cup fixture, replacing the earlier article’s incomplete team-news section. Los Teros will be captained by second-row Manuel Leindekar under incoming head coach Guzmán Barreiro. The starting halfbacks are Ignacio Rodríguez Bosch and Ícaro Amarillo. The wider squad and coaching change are documented by the Uruguayan Rugby Union squad announcement and Uruguayan Rugby Union match announcement.
World Rugby’s World Rugby round-four preview identifies Sebastián Pérez, Mateo Sosa and Pedro Hoblog as uncapped players in Uruguay’s replacements. Selection makes a possible test debut available, but an actual debut can only be credited if a player takes the field. As with any published pregame roster, last-minute personnel changes should be checked against the official match center.
This is the fourth round of the inaugural 2026 competition after three rounds in July. World Rugby reports that Uruguay scored 17 tries across its first three Nations Cup games, more than any other team at that point, but entered the November round without a tournament victory. The key question is whether Los Teros can turn that attacking output into a first Nations Cup win while controlling the opposition’s scoring opportunities.
Spain’s Estanislao Bay scored four tries during the July phase, according to World Rugby round-four preview. His pairing with Güemes provides a clear attacking focus for the hosts. Set-piece possession, defensive organization and field position are likely to influence which side controls the tempo; these are matchup considerations rather than confirmed match events or a predicted score.
Recent head-to-head history favors the home team, but only as background. World Rugby says Spain won three of its previous four meetings with Uruguay, including a 33–24 victory in Madrid in November 2024. Spain also won all three earlier meetings against Uruguay played on Spanish soil. Historical results cannot determine the outcome of the November 7 fixture.
For Spain, forward possession and the Bay–Güemes combination will be worth following, especially if Los Leones can use their set pieces to create room outside. Uruguay will be looking for strong ball carries and phase continuity to reproduce its July try-scoring volume. Both squads have eight replacements available, making substitutions and the balance of the final quarter potential factors.
Discipline is another variable. Penalties, restarts and territorial kicking can change momentum rapidly in test rugby, particularly if the score stays close. None of those possibilities should be reported as having happened before the match is played. No winner, try scorer, injury incident or scoreline is inferred from the lineups alone.
The Spanish federation lists Movistar Plus+ (Vamos) for viewers in Spain. The Uruguayan union lists Disney+ for South American viewers and also refers to RugbyPass TV. World Rugby provides RugbyPass TV coverage where local broadcasting rights permit. Streaming access can vary by territory, so the relevant rights holder or platform is the best place to confirm availability.
For the official score, substitutions and statistics, open the World Rugby match center. As of the fact-check time at the top of this article, it displayed the scheduled fixture without a confirmed final result. A final score, if later published, should be added only after verification against that completed official record.
Spain’s November schedule continues with Chile on November 14 and Samoa on November 21, according to the Spanish federation November schedule. Uruguay’s federation lists Zimbabwe and Portugal as its subsequent opponents in the international window. These matches are part of both countries’ preparation for the expanded 2027 Men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia.
A win in Madrid could change tournament positions and, depending on the result margin and other test outcomes, World Rugby rankings. The direction and size of any movement should not be treated as established until the match and the relevant competing fixtures are complete. Uruguay’s goal of securing its first Nations Cup victory and Spain’s aim of building consistency both remain pre-match storylines at this check.
The scheduled kickoff is 4:00 p.m. in Madrid on November 7, 2026 (CET, UTC+01:00), equivalent to 15:00 UTC and noon in Montevideo (UYT, UTC−03:00).
Jon Zabala is named captain of Spain, and Manuel Leindekar is named captain of Uruguay in the announced matchday teams.
No final score had been verified at the pregame check noted above. The World Rugby match center is the authoritative source to consult for a confirmed result.
France hosts Fiji in Nations Championship Round 4 on Nov. 7, 2026. See the 9:10 p.m. CET kickoff, Groupama Stadium, starting XVs, team news and standings.
Wales vs. Japan on Nov. 7: confirmed starting XVs, 4:40 p.m. GMT kickoff in Cardiff, round-four standings implications, broadcast and score status.
Portugal hosts Chile at Estádio do Restelo on Nov. 7 at 15:00 UTC. See confirmed team news, kickoff time, where to watch, and round-four pool stakes.
New Zealand beat Scotland 43–21 at Murrayfield on Nov. 7, 2026. See the verified final score, Ashman hat trick, lineups and Nations Championship standings.
South Africa beat Italy 66–7 in Turin on Nov. 7, 2026. See the nine-try breakdown, halftime score, confirmed teams, kickoff time and standings impact.
England vs. Australia on Nov. 8, 2026: verified starting XVs and benches, 3:10 p.m. GMT kickoff, captaincy, referee and latest team news.
Spain vs Uruguay Nations Cup, Nov. 7, 2026: confirmed starting XVs and benches, 4 p.m. Madrid kickoff, team news, broadcast options and result status.
France vs Fiji kicks off Nov. 7 at 9:10 p.m. CET in Lyon. See confirmed lineups, match officials and Round 4 Nations Championship stakes.
Wales hosts Japan in Cardiff on Nov. 7 at 4:40 p.m. GMT (16:40 UTC). See confirmed starting XVs, replacements, viewing options and tournament stakes.
Zimbabwe vs Samoa Nov. 7 update: World Rugby confirms Alamanda Motuga replaces Akira Ioane on Samoa’s bench. See lineups, 3 p.m. GMT kickoff and result status.
