Saudi Arabia and Uruguay draw at the 2026 World Cup

Saudi Arabia and Uruguay shared the points in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

After this result, Group H has become extremely complicated: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay all have one point after their opening matches.

Saudi Arabia made a very strong start to the game and managed to open the scoring in the first half. In the 41st minute, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Cristiano Ronaldo’s club teammate at Al-Nassr, found the net. The defender was in the right place at the right time and sent the ball into Uruguay’s goal, giving his team the lead before the break.

In the second half, the match changed completely. Uruguay took full control of the initiative, increased the pressure and began creating more chances near the Saudi goal. However, Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais produced an excellent performance and saved his team several times.

Still, Uruguay eventually found a way through in the 80th minute. Maximiliano Araujo beat Al-Owais and equalised to make it 1-1.

The South American side continued to attack in the closing stages, but Saudi Arabia withstood the pressure and held on for the draw. For Hervé Renard’s team, this is an important point at the start of the tournament, especially considering how strongly Uruguay played in the second half.

Group H is now completely level: all four teams have started the World Cup with draws, and the race for the knockout stage promises to be extremely tense.