Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay Preview

Group H’s second fixture of the day takes place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami late on Monday night as Saudi Arabia face Uruguay, with Spain having already taken on Cape Verde earlier in the day. For Saudi Arabia, a difficult pre-tournament run makes this a daunting assignment, while Uruguay arrive looking to build on a steady if unspectacular run of results.

Saudi Arabia come into this World Cup having struggled for results in their final preparations. Their most recent outing ended in a goalless draw at home against Senegal — a point gained but a performance lacking in attacking threat. Prior to that, they thrashed Puerto Rico 3–0 away in their only win across this run. Before that, they suffered a 2–1 defeat away in Ecuador. Earlier in this run, they lost 2–1 away in Serbia, and the sequence began with a heavy 4–0 home defeat to Egypt. One win, one draw and three defeats — Saudi Arabia’s pre-tournament form has been concerning, with their solitary win coming against considerably weaker opposition than they will face in the group stage.

Uruguay arrive in steadier, if unspectacular, form. Their most recent outing ended in a goalless draw away in Algeria — a tidy if unremarkable result on African soil. Prior to that, they drew 1–1 away against England in a competitive friendly. Before that, they suffered a heavy 5–1 defeat away to the USA — their only loss across this run. Earlier in this run, they drew 0–0 away in Mexico, and the sequence began with a 2–1 away win in Uzbekistan. One win and three draws alongside that one defeat — Uruguay have shown defensive solidity on the road but have struggled to find the net, scoring just four goals across these five matches.

The head-to-head record is evenly split across the three recorded meetings. The oldest result is a Saudi Arabia win (3–2) at home against Uruguay in March 2002. In the next encounter, the sides drew 1–1 at home for Saudi Arabia in October 2014.

With Darwin Núñez expected to lead the line and Valverde and Ugarte anchoring the midfield, Uruguay possess considerably more individual quality and a more settled look heading into this tournament. Saudi Arabia’s recent results suggest they will be there to be got at, though their narrow win over Saudi Arabia at the 2002 meeting referenced above is a reminder that this fixture has produced surprises before. Uruguay’s defensive solidity and greater firepower should make them favourites, but their lack of goals in recent matches means this is unlikely to be a one-sided affair.

In Uruguay, the match is live on DIRECTV Sports Uruguay and via DGO, with Canal 5 Uruguay also carrying the action. In Saudi Arabia, viewers can watch via beIN SPORTS CONNECT. In the United States, the game is available on Fox Sports 1, fuboTV and Telemundo.

Lineups & Injuries

Saudi Arabia (4-2-3-1) Aqidi, Abdulhamid, Kadish, Kanno, Tambakti, Juwayr, Brikan, Dawsari, Dawsari, Washl, Ghannam

Uruguay (4-2-3-1) Rochet, Olivera, Araújo, Araujo, Giménez, Valverde, Ugarte, Varela, Arrascaeta, Pellistri, Núñez

Both squads appear to be at full strength for this Group H fixture. For Saudi Arabia, Saud Abdulhamid remains the only squad member playing club football outside the domestic league, while Uruguay’s centre-back pairing of Ronald Araújo and José María Giménez will be central to nullifying the Saudi attack.

Saudi Arabia Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
🤝	Saudi Arabia	0 – 0	Senegal	International Friendly	Jun 10, 2026
✅	Puerto Rico	0 – 3	Saudi Arabia	International Friendly	Jun 6, 2026
❌	Ecuador	2 – 1	Saudi Arabia	International Friendly	May 31, 2026
❌	Serbia	2 – 1	Saudi Arabia	International Friendly	Mar 31, 2026
❌	Saudi Arabia	0 – 4	Egypt	International Friendly	Mar 27, 2026

Uruguay Form

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
🤝	Algeria	0 – 0	Uruguay	International Friendly	Mar 31, 2026
🤝	England	1 – 1	Uruguay	International Friendly	Mar 27, 2026
❌	USA	5 – 1	Uruguay	International Friendly	Nov 19, 2025
🤝	Mexico	0 – 0	Uruguay	International Friendly	Nov 16, 2025
✅	Uzbekistan	1 – 2	Uruguay	International Friendly	Oct 13, 2025

Head to Head

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
Uruguay	1 – 0	Saudi Arabia	World Cup	Jun 20, 2018
Saudi Arabia	1 – 1	Uruguay	International Friendly	Oct 10, 2014
Saudi Arabia	3 – 2	Uruguay	International Friendly	Mar 27, 2002

TV Listings / Streaming

Country	Channel
Uruguay	DIRECTV Sports Uruguay, DGO, Canal 5 Uruguay, Paramount+
Saudi Arabia	beIN SPORTS CONNECT
USA	Fox Sports 1, fuboTV, Telemundo, FOX One
Great Britain	ITV 1, ITVX, STV, STV Player
Ireland	ITV 1, RTE 2, ITVX, RTE Player
Argentina	TyC Sports Argentina, Telefe Argentina, DIRECTV Sports Argentina
Germany	ZDF, SRF zwei, MagentaTV
France	M6, beIN Sports 1, M6+, Molotov
Brazil	SporTV, Globo, Globoplay, CazéTV
Canada	TSN+, TSN1, RDS App