The inaugural World Cup winner, Uruguay, gets its tournament started in Miami this summer, facing Saudi Arabia at the Hard Rock Stadium on Monday.
The Green Falcons are competing at their seventh World Cup and third in succession. Last time out, they were responsible for producing one of the tournament‘s most memorable upsets, rallying from behind to beat eventual champions Argentina. Still, the result wasn‘t enough for them to progress into the knockouts for the first time since 1994.
The expansion to 48 teams and the addition of an extra knockout round give Saudi Arabia an improved chance of enjoying an extended stay in North America this summer. Moreover, Group H could be mightily tight below the expected winners, Spain.
Uruguay may have the pedigree and prestige, but Marcelo Bielsa’s reign hasn‘t exactly represented a prosperous new dawn. There were a couple of statement results in qualifying, including wins over Colombia and Brazil, but a 5–1 defeat to the USMNT last November was a worrying nadir.
They also opted against any warm-up matches before the tournament, with Bielsa wanting a training camp and training camp only to prepare his players for the slog ahead.
Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay Score Prediction
Spoils Shared in Miami
Uruguay is 45 places better off in FIFA’s rankings and Marcelo Bielsa can call upon players from Real Madrid, Manchester United and Napoli, but the two-time world champion hasn’t consistently performed with the suffocating cohesion of a Bielsa-led team.
Saudi Arabia lacks some of Uruguay’s talent, yet new manager Georgios Donis can count upon a cohesive group that’s battle-hardened at the World Cup.
Securing a result here wouldn’t quite match its stunning victory against Argentina, but the rankings disparity suggests that the Green Falcons are big underdogs in Miami.
- Depleted Uruguay : We don’t quite know what to expect from Bielsa’s Uruguay this summer, and the absence of any warm-up matches has further added to its mystique. Moreover, Bielsa will be without several stalwarts for Monday’s game, with the absence of Flamengo’s Giorgian de Arrascaeta perhaps limiting their ability to connect defense to attack.
- Saudi Arabia’s preparation : The change of manager so close to the tournament isn’t ideal, but there hasn’t been a discernible drop since Hervé Renard left his post. Saudi Arabia has taken encouragement from each of its three most recent outings, including a comfortable victory over Puerto Rico and a stalemate with Senegal. This team seems to be in a good place. There’s a clear idea of how they’ll attain results this summer.
Prediction: Saudi Arabia 0–0 Uruguay
Saudi Arabia Predicted Lineup vs. Uruguay
Saudi Arabia is without No. 1 goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi, who plays for reigning Saudi Pro League champions Al Nassr, through injury, so veteran shot-stopper Mohammed Al-Owais will deputise. Al-Owais was the man between the posts in Qatar.
There are otherwise no injury concerns.
Only one member of the 26-man roster, Saud Abdulhamid, plies his trade away from the homeland. The Lens star will line up at right back on Monday.
34-year-old Salem Al-Dawsari remains the difference-maker in the final third. He has 27 goals in 110 caps for the national team, having made his international debut in 2012. This will be his third World Cup, having been a part of the 2018 and 2022 rosters.
Saudi Arabia predicted lineup vs. Uruguay (4-3-3): Al-Owais; Abdulhamid, Al-Tambakti, Lajami, Boushal; Kanno, Al-Khaibari; Al-Dawsari, Al-Juwayr, Al-Dawsari; Al-Buraikan.
Uruguay Predicted Lineup vs. Saudi Arabia
Crucially, Uruguay’s midfield stars, Federico Valverde and Rodrigo Bentancur, are fit and firing, with the latter performing well for Tottenham Hotspur during the final six weeks of the league season after recovering from a knee injury.
However, Marcelo Bielsa does have a few more headaches than his Saudi counterpart, especially in defense.
Ronald Araújo has returned to Spain after suffering a muscle injury in Uruguay’s pre-tournament camp, while captain José María Giménez has also been ruled out of Monday’s game. Fellow defenders Sebastián Cáceres and Matiás Viña are doubtful.
The South Americans will hope to have midfielder Giorgian de Arrascaeta available at some point during the group phase, but the Flamengo man will not be in action for Bielsa as soon as Monday.
Pick Your World Cup Starting XIs!
What Time Does Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay Kick Off?
- Location : Miami Gardens, Florida
- Stadium : Hard Rock Stadium
- Date : Monday, June 15
- Kick-off Time : 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT / 11 p.m. BST
- Referee : Maurizio Mariani (ITA)
How to Watch Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay on TV, Live Stream
| Country | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| United States | FOX Network, fuboTV, Telemundo, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, FOX One |
| Canada | TSN+, TSN1, TSN3, TSN4, RDS, CTV, RDS App |
| Mexico | ViX Mexico |
| United Kingdom | ITV 1, ITVX, ST Scotland, STV Player |
