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Uruguay could not overcome Saudi Arabia in their World Cup debut and settled for a 1-1 draw this Monday at the , on the first day of Group H of the 2026 World Cup.
The Celeste dominated the match from start to finish —65% possession, 17 shots compared to just five from the Saudis— but went into halftime trailing. A. Al Amri opened the scoring in the 41st minute with a strike that surprised the Uruguayan defense, and two minutes later received a yellow card in an incident that reflected the tension at the end of the first half.
Marcelo Bielsa made substitutions at the start of the second half: in the 46th minute, Maxi Viña and Darwin Núñez came on, aiming for more depth and speed in attack. The sky-blue pressure was constant but went unrewarded for over half an hour.
Equality was achieved in the 80th minute. Maxi Araújo scored to prevent what would have been a painful defeat. Araújo himself was substituted just a minute later, in the 81st, in a tactical decision that ended his participation in the match on a high note.
The statistics reflect Uruguay's superiority: seven shots on goal compared to three from Saudi Arabia, six corners against four, and no yellow cards for La Celeste. However, the numbers did not translate into victory.
The result complicates Uruguay's start in a group that has proven to be more unpredictable than expected. Spain, a strong favorite in Group H, also dropped points by drawing 0-0 with Cape Verde in Atlanta, marking the historic first point for the Africans in a World Cup.
After the first match, the four teams in Group H each have one point: Spain, Cape Verde, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia are tied in the standings. La Celeste did not take advantage of Spain's stumble to lead on their own.
Uruguay has two matches ahead to turn things around: first against Cape Verde at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, and then the group finale against Spain at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara. Every point will be crucial.
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