FIFA World Cup, Uruguay hold Saudi Arabia 1-1: Key stats
What's the story
Uruguay salvaged a late equalizer to draw 1-1 with Saudi Arabia in their FIFA World Cup opener on Monday. The match was held at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The result came after Spain's earlier goalless draw with Cape Verde, keeping Group H wide open. Abdulelah Alamri put Saudi Arabia ahead with a 41st-minute strike, but Maxi Araujo equalized for Uruguay just before full-time.
Match highlights
Saudi Arabia take lead in 1st half
The Green Falcons took the lead in the first half, with Alamri scoring from close range after a corner. Despite dominating possession, Uruguay struggled to find their rhythm and create clear-cut chances. Their best opportunity came from Federico Vinas's diving header which was saved by Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais. The match saw several missed opportunities for both teams, including a penalty appeal for Uruguay in the 20th minute when Sebastian Caceres's shot hit Hassan al-Tambakti's hand but no penalty was awarded as his arm was clearly by his side.
Equalizer
Uruguay equalize late in the 2nd half
Uruguay made two substitutions at halftime, including Darwin Nunez, who had been quiet in the first half. The changes paid off as Uruguay continued to attack down the flanks but were limited to half-chances from crosses. An equalizer that felt inevitable arrived in the 80th minute when Mathias Olivera's cross was headed toward goal by Vinas. Alowais failed to catch it and Araujo reacted quickly with a neat side-footed finish at the near post.
Upcoming fixtures
Uruguay's next match and attendance issues
Uruguay will face Cape Verde on Sunday, which will be another test of FIFA's sales strategy. The attendance for the match was given as 62,764 out of a capacity of 64,478. However, many fans arrived late due to a highway crash. Despite the late arrivals and empty seats in the first half, Uruguay managed to secure a point against Saudi Arabia in their World Cup opener. As per Opta, Uruguay attempted 22 shots in the second half against Saudi Arabia. The last team to attempt more shots in a half of a FIFA World Cup match was East Germany against Chile in 1974 (24 in the first half).
Stats
A look at the match stats
From 27 attempts, Uruguay recorded 10 shots on target. Saudi Arabia had just three shots on target from seven attempts. The Uruguayan side had a 65% ball possession in the high-voltage game. They completed 583 passes with a brilliant 92% accuracy. Saudi Arabia's passes count was 313. Their accuracy was 71%. As per Opta, Uruguay attempted 22 shots in the second half of the game. The last team to attempt more shots in a half of a World Cup match was East Germany against Chile in 1974 (24 in the first half).
Landmarks
Al Owais registers this feat
According to Squawka, Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Al Owais made 9 saves vs Uruguay - the most by any goalkeeper at the 2026 World Cup so far. Only Dominik Livakovic (11 vs Brazil, 2022) has made more saves in a single World Cup game in the last three tournaments. Maxi Araújo is the first Uruguayan player to score on his World Cup debut since Diego Forlán in 2002 against Senegal.