Uruguay narrowly avoided a defeat that would have completely shaken up Group H of the World Cup. With a goal by Maxi Araújo ten minutes before the end, La Celeste salvaged a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia in their World Cup opener in Miami.
The Saudi team took the lead in the 41st minute thanks to Abdulelah Al-Amri, who capitalized on a rebound off Fernando Muslera inside the box to score from close range, sparking celebrations among the Saudi Arabia fans in the stadium.
The team led by Marcelo Bielsa dominated much of the match and created numerous scoring opportunities. The statistics reflected that dominance with a significant advantage in shots on goal, but the score remained in Saudi Arabia’s favor for much of the second half.
The key figure in the Saudi defense was goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais, who made several crucial saves to preserve the lead. However, in the 80th minute, he was unable to stop a header inside the box and let the ball slip through. Maxi Araújo was on hand to tap the ball into the net and secure the Uruguayan equalizer.
The goal prevented Saudi Arabia from repeating a historic upset like the one they pulled off at Qatar 2022, when they defeated Argentina in their opening match of that World Cup. This time, the Saudis came close to securing another victory against a South American powerhouse, but Uruguay was rewarded for its persistence in the final minutes.
The match also set a record for Fernando Muslera, who became the oldest player to appear in a World Cup match for Uruguay by taking the field at 39 years and 364 days, surpassing the record set by Diego Godín at Qatar 2022.
After the match, Bielsa acknowledged that the result left his team with mixed feelings. “An opponent we couldn’t overcome, and we gave away minutes in the first half that don’t suggest we did things right. We had to win this match,” said the Argentine coach.
The draw capped an unexpected day in Group H. Hours earlier, World Cup debutant Cape Verde had stunned everyone by holding Spain to a scoreless draw in Atlanta, leaving the group wide open after the first matchday.
The night in Miami also brought together different eras of World Cup history. Uruguay, host of the first World Cup in 1930 and the focus of the centennial celebration in 2030, faced off against Saudi Arabia, the future host of the tournament in 2034. Notable attendees included Gianni Infantino, Bam Adebayo, Chad Ochocinco, and Luis Suárez, a legendary figure for the Uruguayan national team.
