KUALA LUMPUR: Uruguay showed their class in front of nearly 8,000 fans at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on Friday, beating the Dominican Republic 1-0 in the 2025 Stars of Uruguay Global Friendly.

Despite the gulf in rankings, Uruguay are 15th in the world, while the Dominican Republic are 142nd, the Caribbean side held firm for much of the encounter before Ignacio Laquintana finally broke the deadlock in the 60th minute.

The midfielder's decisive strike capped a patient second-half display from the South Americans, who dominated possession and created the better chances throughout the match but found it difficult to penetrate a disciplined Dominican defence.

Uruguay, led by Marcelo Bielsa, fielded a mix of established internationals and newcomers, used the fixture to fine-tune their preparations for the next leg of their Asian tour.

The two-time world champions will continue their Malaysian journey with a clash against world No. 54 Uzbekistan at the Hang Jebat Stadium in Melaka on Monday.