Saudi Arabia and Uruguay played out a 1-1 draw in their Group H opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The match ended 1-1. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Goals: Ali Al-Amri, 40' – Maximiliano Araújo, 78'.
Uruguay started the match more actively and took control from the first minutes. Early on, Ronald Araújo fired a dangerous shot on goal, but Saudi goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Owais made a confident save. Later, Rodrigo Vinyas and Darwin Núñez missed good chances.
Despite the pressure, it was the Saudis who opened the scoring. In the 40th minute, after a corner kick, Mohammed Kanno headed the ball, Fernando Muslera managed to save, but Ali Al-Amri was first to the rebound and slotted it into the net.
After the break, Marcelo Bielsa's team regained control and increased the pressure. Uruguay regularly created dangerous chances. Federico Valverde executed a dangerous free kick, and then Manuel Ugarte hit the post with a long-range shot.
The South Americans' persistence paid off in the 78th minute. After a cross from Antonio Sanabria, Rodrigo Vinyas headed the ball, Al-Owais saved, but Maximiliano Araújo was first to the rebound and equalized.
In the closing stages, Uruguay was closer to victory but failed to convert their chances. Ultimately, the teams shared the points in the opening match of Group H. Earlier in this group, Spain and Cape Verde also played out a goalless draw – 0:0.