Veteran coach Oscar Tabarez said Uruguay “broke the spell” after they left it late to defeat an Egypt side shorn of Mohamed Salah 1-0 in their World Cup opener on Friday.
Defender Jose Gimenez was the unlikely 89th-minute match winner for Tabarez's men, who also struck a post late on through Edinson Cavani.
Uruguay's deserved last-gasp victory leaves them and Russia in early control in Group A after the hosts' 5-0 mauling of Saudi Arabia in the tournament opener on Thursday.
But it also stops the rot for Uruguay in World Cup opening games — the South Americans had not won their first match in the tournament since 1970.
A poor contest looked likely to end in stalemate but with Uruguay cranking up the pressure late on, Atletico Madrid's Gimenez rose to power a header into the top corner and break Egypt hearts.
Aside from Liverpool ace Salah failing to get off the bench with his shoulder injury, another major talking point was also off the pitch — large portions of empty seats in one main stand at the Yekaterinburg Arena were an embarrassing sight for FIFA and local organisers.