Araujo’s Late Goal Earns Uruguay a Draw Against Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia and Uruguay played out a 1-1 draw in an exciting 2026 FIFA World Cup match, meaning La Celeste have now won just one of their last nine opening games at the tournament.

Both teams met on a hot evening in Miami, knowing a win would take them to the top of Group H, especially after Spain’s surprise 0-0 draw with Cape Verde earlier in the day.

Uruguay started as slight favourites despite their recent poor run, and they nearly scored in the first five minutes when Mohammed Al Owais saved Maximiliano Araujo’s shot from outside the box.

Al Owais had to step in once more, this time keeping out Federico Vinas’ diving header. Saudi Arabia then noticed some gaps in Uruguay’s defence and made it count, going ahead in the 41st minute against the two-time World Cup winners.

Mohamed Kanno met Musab Al Juwayr’s corner with a header that was saved by Fernando Muslera, but Abdulelah Al Amri reacted quickly and managed to poke in the rebound.

Marcelo Bielsa made two substitutions at half-time, and Uruguay came out much sharper after the break. Al Owais once again denied Vinas, tipping his header away, and soon after the Oviedo striker missed the target from Araújo’s corner.

Saudi Arabia’s narrow lead started to feel shaky as Manuel Ugarte struck a powerful shot from distance that hit the post, giving them another big scare.

Uruguay finally got the equalizer in the 80th minute when Araujo reacted fast to a loose ball after Al Owais saved yet another Vinas header.

With that late strike, both teams ended up sharing the points, leaving all four sides in Group H with one point after the opening games. Uruguay will now face Cape Verde in Miami, while Saudi Arabia will travel to Atlanta to meet the tournament favorites Spain.