FIFA World Cup
The three-time AFC Asian Cup™ winners are seeking to advance to the knockout stage for the first time since making their debut on the global stage in the 1994 edition.
Set to appear in the Finals for the third consecutive edition, Saudi Arabia's immediate focus will be to avoid the heartache suffered four years ago.
They kicked off their campaign with a stunning 2-1 win against eventual champions Argentina but eventually were eliminated in the group stage.
They kicked off their campaign with a stunning 2-1 win against eventual champions Argentina but eventually were eliminated in the group stage.
Georgios Donis' side will enter the tie at the Miami Stadium having played to a goalless draw with Senegal in their final friendly, while they also played Puerto Rico and Ecuador, beating the former 1-0 and losing 2-1 to the latter.
"We are ready to press our opponents. We are ready to play organised defence. We are ready to counterattack. We are also ready to create chances," Donis said on Sunday.
"We cannot know how the match will unfold (but) we are not preparing a team that will have a passive role and simply wait for the opponent in order to react. We are preparing a team that will play with confidence."
While Uruguay will not have the services of retired duo Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, they still possess multiple players who ply their trade in Europe but Donis is confident that Salem Al Dawsari and his teammates have the guile to kick off their campaign with three points.
"We are ready to press our opponents. We are ready to play organised defence. We are ready to counterattack. We are also ready to create chances," Donis said on Sunday.
"We cannot know how the match will unfold (but) we are not preparing a team that will have a passive role and simply wait for the opponent in order to react. We are preparing a team that will play with confidence."
While Uruguay will not have the services of retired duo Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, they still possess multiple players who ply their trade in Europe but Donis is confident that Salem Al Dawsari and his teammates have the guile to kick off their campaign with three points.
Fun Facts
● Saudi Arabia have advanced beyond the first round in just one of their six previous FIFA World Cup appearances — it was at the 1994 tournament in the United States.
● Saudi Arabia have lost 68% of their FIFA World Cup matches (13/19) — the highest loss rate of any nation to have played 15 or more games at the tournament. They’ve also only kept one clean sheet in their 19 matches, a 1-0 win against Belgium in the 1994 group stages.
● Saudi Arabia kept 10 clean sheets in the AFC Asian Qualifiers™ – Road to 26 with only Iraq and Japan (12 each) managed more. Four of the clean sheets came in their last six matches, including a goalless draw against Japan in March 2025.
● Al Dawsari is one of four players to win the AFC Player of the Year award twice (2023; 2025), alongside Hidetoshi Nakata (1997; 1998), Server Djeparov (2008; 2011), and Akram Afif (2019; 2023) – and the only Saudi player to achieve this.
● Former Greek international Donis will lead Saudi Arabia at the in his first role at international level. Indeed, he’ll be just the second Greek head coach in the tournament’s history after Alketas Panagoulias, who took charge of Greece in 1994.
Saudi Arabia v Uruguay
Venue: Miami Stadium (Miami)
Kick-off: Monday, 18:00 (UTC-4)
Venue: Miami Stadium (Miami)
Kick-off: Monday, 18:00 (UTC-4)
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