In Group H of the 2026 World Cup, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay will face off at Miami Stadium. These two teams also met in the 2018 World Cup, where Uruguay defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0. The key players to watch this time are Uruguay’s new captain Federico Valverde and Saudi Arabia’s captain Salem Al-Dawsari.
The Asian powerhouse Saudi Arabia will play against the two-time world champions from South America, Uruguay, at Miami Stadium in Florida. The Saudi team, which made headlines by defeating Argentina 2-1 in the 2022 World Cup, will enter the tournament under new coach Georgios Donis. Meanwhile, Uruguay is ready to compete with a new generation following the golden era of Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani.
This will be the second encounter between these teams in World Cup history. In the 2018 Russia World Cup, Uruguay won 1-0 against Saudi Arabia. Historically, Saudi Arabia has struggled against South American teams, though their victory over Argentina in the 2022 Qatar World Cup was a notable exception.
Saudi captain Salem Al-Dawsari, who plays as a key winger for the domestic club Al Hilal, is expected to be the main attacking threat in this match. The 34-year-old Al-Dawsari scored the decisive goal against Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. On the other side, Uruguay’s Federico Valverde, the principal midfielder for Real Madrid, will pose a significant challenge for the Saudi team.
Uruguay’s leading striker Darwin Núñez, currently playing for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, will aim to exploit weaknesses in Saudi Arabia’s defense. Ronald Araújo, Barcelona’s primary center-back, will have a crucial role in stopping the Saudi attackers.
