RIYADH: Egyptian fans were most certainly feeling a sense of deja vu as they watched Saudi Arabia take on Uruguay in their World Cup opener on Monday.
Like Egypt had done a few hours earlier against Belgium, the Saudis took the lead in the first half. And like Egypt, they conceded after the break and were unable to hold on for what would have been an upset.
Also like the Pharaohs, Saudi Arabia will feel they deserved more from the game, even if they would have gladly accepted a draw against one of the tournament’s strongest sides before kickoff.
The fact that in the group’s other match Spain had dropped points in a goalless draw with Cape Verde might have been on the minds of both Saudi Arabia’s coach, Georgios Donis, and his Uruguay counterpart, Marcelo Bielsa, because in what was one of the quietest starts to a 2026 World Cup match so far both sides were extremely wary of taking risks, with many passing sequences ending back in defense.
The stands of the Miami Stadium were awash with sky blue and the Uruguayan supporters did their best to unsettle the Green Falcons, to little effect during the opening half. Saudi Arabia looked calm, composed and well organized, which ensured that Uruguay found little space to exploit behind the defense.
There were flashes of quality — the individual talent on display was more than evident, after all — but a draw was preferable to defeat for both teams, even if a victory would have provided one of them with a comfortable early cushion in the race for the Round of 32.
Mohammed Al-Owais had the Saudi fans on their feet in the 30th minute when he pulled off an excellent save, pushing away a diving header from Federico Vinas before the rebound was blazed over the crossbar. The keeper was called into action again four minutes later, this time reacting well to push away a dangerous cross.
After the hydration break, Uruguay had begun to grow into the contest. Yet the momentum shifted towards Saudi Arabia almost immediately, and in the 38th minute Abdulelah Al-Amri found himself in the perfect position to give his side the lead from a corner, only for Fernando Muslera to produce a fine save that kept the curled effort out of the net.
Al-Amri was not to be denied for long, however. Three minutes later, Musab Al-Juwayr swung another corner into the penalty area and Hassan Al-Tambakti forced Muslera into yet another excellent save. This time, however, the rebound fell kindly for Al-Amri, who pounced on it to open Saudi Arabia’s World Cup account.
The second half began with a dangerous cross and another diving header from Uruguay, which Al-Owais did well to parry. In stark contrast to the opening period, Uruguay were quicker, more aggressive and far more direct in their approach after the break.
Bielsa responded to this bright start by introducing Juan Sanabria and Agustin Canobbio in place of Matias Vina and Darwin Nunez. Canobbio in particular quickly proved a nuisance for the Saudi defense, repeatedly looking to draw fouls in dangerous areas. At one point, he even lost a boot as Manuel Ugarte received the ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a powerful effort toward goal. Replays revealed that Al-Owais’ fingertips had diverted the shot away from danger.
While Al-Owais received treatment for a muscle issue, and with less than half an hour remaining, Nasser Al-Dawsari replaced Al-Juwayr in a move clearly designed to add greater control in midfield. The Saudis also dropped deeper, with Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat retreating to form part of a back five.
The Uruguayan pressure eventually proved too much to withstand, however. Saudi Arabia began to concede more space, and even a fifth impressive save from Al-Owais was not enough to keep Uruguay at bay; the keeper could only parry the ball into the path of Maximiliano Araujo, who reacted quickly to convert the rebound and level the score in the 80th minute.
This was followed by another wave of Uruguayan pressure, although Saudi Arabia still carried a threat of their own on the counterattack. In the 87th minute, Moteb Al-Harbi surged into the final third and laid the ball off, only for Uruguay to clear their lines. Moments later, Saud Abdulhamid won possession, drove across the face of goal but fired his effort over the crossbar.
Al-Owais added another excellent save to his growing tally in the first minute of stoppage time, before Donis made a triple substitution, introducing Abdullah Al-Hamdan, Ali Lajami and Ala Al-Hajji in place of Abdulhamid, Al-Harbi and Feras Al-Brikan.
Al-Owais then preserved the draw and a potentially valuable point with a fingertip save that denied Federico Valverde’s powerful low strike.
The Saudi keeper finished the night with nine key saves, a man-of-the-match performance and a display that keeps the hope of progression very much alive.
The Saudis face Spain next, on June 21 at 7 p.m. Saudi time, while Uruguay take on World Cup debutants Cape Verde on June 22 at 1 a.m. Two draws in the opening games mean that all four teams in Group H remain level on one point each.
