World Cup 2026: Uruguay held to draw by Saudi Arabia on day of surprises

Saudi Arabia held two-time champions Uruguay to a 1-1 draw in their World Cup opener on Monday, four years after defeating future champions Argentina in their debut match in Qatar. Abdulelah Al Amri’s opener for ​the ‌Gulf nation was cancelled out ⁠by Maxi Araujo in a game where both sides ‌profited from goalkeeping errors.

The draw means the two teams are level in Group H with Spain and tournament newcomers Cape Verde, who earlier made history by holding off the European champions in their first ever appearance on football’s biggest stage.

Read moreDebutants Cape Verde hold European champions Spain to shock draw

The first half was ⁠dominated by Uruguay but Saudi Arabia took the lead against the run of ​play in the 41st minute ‌when Fernando Muslera made a costly error on a set-piece, parrying the ball into the ‌path of Al Amri who poked the ball past ​the veteran keeper.

The majority of the second period was played in Saudi Arabia’s half as Uruguay ​frantically searched for an equaliser and ​their persistence paid off when ​goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais also made an error when a ​save fell nicely for Araujo to fire home.

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