Saudi Arabia to face Uruguay in opening 2026 World Cup match

Saudi Arabia will play Uruguay in its first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the Group H fixture scheduled at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Tuesday at 1:00 a.m. local time. The other two teams in the group are Spain and Cape Verde. Georges Donis, who took over as Saudi Arabia's head coach after Hervé Renard, told a press conference that the team had analyzed Uruguay's style of play in detail and was fully focused on the opening match. He described the group as difficult given the presence of Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde. Uruguay head coach Marcelo Bielsa said Saudi Arabia has quality players with strong individual skills, noting that his side was preparing to avoid a repeat of the 2022 World Cup upset in which Saudi Arabia beat Argentina. Bielsa added that Uruguay will stick to its attacking approach and high pressing game regardless of the opponent.