Two-time WC winners Uruguay had already confirmed their fifth consecutive appearance at next summer’s finals, which led to manager Marcelo Bielsa making seven changes from Friday’s 3-0 win over Peru.
Perhaps feeling the effects of rotation early on, Uruguay were indebted to the crossbar after 10 minutes, as Rodrigo Echeverría’s rocket beat Santiago Mele but left the paintwork shaking. In response to nearly falling behind, Darwin Núñez came close to a sixth WC qualification goal, only to find a flying Lawrence Vigouroux in his way.
Following a quieter period in play, the goalmouth action recommenced just before the half-hour mark, as Lucas Cepeda’s effort forced Mele to firmly palm the ball away from any impending danger.
Despite the low-key feel to this match, controversy rounded off the first half, with referee Anderson Daronco only prepared to issue Felipe Loyola a yellow card, following a horror challenge on Manuel Ugarte - much to Bielsa’s astonishment.
Mele was back in the thick of the action almost immediately from the restart, as he denied Fabián Hormazábal his first-ever international goal with his best save of the night.
The returning shot-stopper - who will compete with Sergio Rochet for Uruguay’s number one jersey at next year’s final - then enhanced his claims further in the 56th minute by expertly keeping out Ben Brereton Díaz’s strike from close range.
Ultimately though, with both teams assured of their respective fates prior to tonight, the match became something of a glorified friendly, with goalmouth action petering out in the closing minutes.
Uruguay’s attention now shifts fully to righting the wrongs of four years ago, when they failed to make it out of the group stage in Qatar. Meanwhile, Chile will surely be glad to see the back of the 2026 WC qualification cycle, which has seen three different managers at the helm, including current interim boss Nicolás Córdova.
A forgettable closing record of W2, D5, L11 represents a new low, with the current crop of Chileans getting one win and one point fewer than when their predecessors failed to qualify for the 2002 edition.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Santiago Mele (Uruguay)