The South American teams remain without winning in the 2026 World Cup.
This Monday (15), Uruguay drew 1-1 with Saudi Arabia, in Miami, in the first round of Group H, and extended a sequence that includes defeats by Paraguay and Ecuador and Brazil’s draw against Morocco.
The result avoided a major stumble for Marcelo Bielsa’s team and maintained a historic milestone for the celestial team: Uruguay has never lost to Asian opponents in World Cups.
Saudi Arabia was superior for much of the first half and found the goal in the 41st minute. On a corner kick in the middle of the area, Mohamed Kanno rose free and headed the ball into the center of the goal. Muslera made the save, but palmed it forward. Unmarked, Abdulelah Al-Amri took advantage of the rebound and put it into the net.
The move rewarded a more organized performance by the Saudis. While the Asian team managed to speed up the transitions and occupy the attacking field, Uruguay found it difficult to build plays and connect the midfield to the offensive sector.
Without Arrascaeta, from Flamengo, out of the debut because of an injury to his right calf suffered during the preparation for the World Cup, the Uruguayans lacked creativity, especially in the first stage.
The injury even generated discomfort between the Uruguayan technical committee and Flamengo, who questioned the management of the player’s return to training after a period of physical recovery.
Without the team’s main articulator, Bielsa opted for a more physical midfield, led by Federico Valverde, who was playing on the right side of the attack. The Real Madrid player, considered the main name of the current Uruguayan generation, had a discreet participation in the face of strong Saudi marking.
Uruguayan pressure
The scenario began to change only in the second stage. Uruguay began to occupy more of the offensive field and found their best opportunity in the 15th minute. Ugarte finished hard with a right from outside the area and hit the post.
Uruguayan pressure continued in the final minutes. Crosses became the team’s main alternative, which found the equalizer precisely in an aerial play.
In a new move into the area, Matías Viña went up unmarked and headed towards the ground. Al-Owais fumbled when trying to fit the ball and gave it a rebound. Maxi Araújo appeared free to complete and score the goal that secured the draw.
The pressure continued, and De La Cruz managed a good finish from the edge of the area, but Mohammed Al-Owais managed to palm it away. He saved again from Valverde’s powerful shot from outside the box, as well as one from Rodríguez.
Saudi Arabia then tried to slow down the game with substitutions and also with Al-Owais making wax.
Making life difficult for South Americans is nothing new for Saudi Arabia. In 2022, they staged one of the biggest surprises of the World Cup when they defeated Argentina 2-1 in their debut.
With one point for each side, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia are equal in points to Spain and Cape Verde, the other members of the group, who tied earlier.
In the next round, Uruguay faces Cape Verde, while Saudi Arabia takes on Spain.
The South American teams will still have two more representatives on the field in the first round. Argentina debuts this Tuesday (16) against Algeria, while Colombia faces Uzbekistan on Wednesday (17).
