Uruguay became the 32nd and final country to qualify for the World Cup last night, beating Australia 3-0 in the second leg of their play-off for a 3-1 aggregate scoreline.
Dario Silva, playing only 12 days after dislocating his shoulder, broke through in the 14th minute as Uruguay, trailing 1-0 from the first leg, levelled the aggregate.
After both sides wasted a succession of chances, substitute Richard Morales headed a decisive goal in the 71st minute.
Morales added a third from close range in injury time to send the two times ex-champions to their first World Cup since 1990.
It was a bitter pill for Australia, who lost 2-1 on aggregate to Argentina in a play-off for the 1994 World Cup and on away goals to Iran in another play-off for France '98.
Uruguay dominated most of the match but Australia had an excellent patch early in the second half when a crucial away goal looked on the cards.
Australia had had a chance in the first minute but Brett Emerton shot into the side netting.
Any doubts about Silva's fitness were dispelled in the 14th minute as Paolo Montero sent a long ball out of defence.
The Malaga striker fought off a challenge from Craig Moore and prodded the ball beyond goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer to open the scoring.
Australia nearly grabbed an immediate equaliser when Uruguay goalkeeper Fabian Carini had to make an excellent save from a Harry Kewell header.
Shaun Murphy then made an acrobatic clearance off the line after Mario Regueiro had broken through the offside trap and pulled the ball back. Federico Magallanes wasted an excellent chance from 12 metres when he shot straight at Schwarzer.
Australia only threatened when Kewell got the ball. The Leeds United player was close with a 25-metre free kick and also created a golden chance for Mark Viduka, who shot weakly at Carini.
But as they took control of the midfield, Australia, like Uruguay in the first half, wasted a succession of chances.
Viduka missed two when he failed to connect properly with the ball and Kewell fired over from close range with Uruguay claiming he had controlled the ball with his arm.
The game changed dramatically when Nacional's Morales - one of nine players who spent a week in custody after a brawl on the pitch at the same Centenario stadium - replaced the wasteful Magallanes in the 68th minute.
Three minutes later, Recoba won a free kick on the left, floated the ball across and Morales headed home.
Australia pressed forward desperately and Carini pulled off another superb save to tip over a header by Moore.
Morales sealed Australia's fate in injury time, scoring from close range after a Recoba breakaway.
URUGUAY: Carini; Tais, Lembo, Montero (capt), Rodriguez; Guigou, Garcia, Recoba; Regueiro, Silva, Magallanes.
AUSTRALIA: Schwarzer; Muscat, Moore, Okon, Vidmar; Murphy, Emerton, Skoko, Kewell; Viduka, Lazaridis.
Referee: Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates)
