Uruguay's second-half assault was historic. The team attempted 22 shots on goal after the break, the highest number recorded in a single half of a FIFA World Cup match since East Germany registered 24 shots against Chile in 1974. However, Saudi Arabia's disciplined defensive effort and an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais denied Uruguay a winning start to their campaign.
Uruguay began the match aggressively, with Araujo forcing an early save from Al Owais before the Saudi goalkeeper produced another crucial stop to deny Federico Vinas from a diving header. Despite Uruguay's early pressure, Saudi Arabia struck first when Abdulelah Al-Amri converted a rebound in the 41st minute to hand his side a surprise lead heading into halftime.
The result left Uruguay disappointed, particularly after a vastly improved second-half performance. Midfielder Federico Valverde admitted that his side failed to execute their game plan during the opening period.
“We gave it away. We have to be honest,” Valverde said after the match.
“We gave away the first half. We didn’t play the way we had trained. It wasn’t what we were aiming for. We rushed things too much. We wanted to win the game in the very first minute. Sometimes you need a bit more patience and just play our game. We improved a lot in the second half,” he added.
With Saudi Arabia retreating deep into their own half after the interval, Uruguay intensified the pressure and repeatedly tested the Saudi defense. Their breakthrough finally arrived in the 80th minute when Al Owais failed to hold a powerful header from Vinas. Araujo reacted quickest to the loose ball and fired home from close range to level the score.
Al Owais emerged as one of the standout performers of the tournament so far, making nine saves against Uruguay. It is the highest number of saves recorded by any goalkeeper at the FIFA World Cup 2026 to date. Only Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who made 11 saves against Brazil during the 2022 World Cup, has recorded more saves in a single World Cup match across the last three editions of the tournament.
Meanwhile, in Group G, Belgium were also forced to settle for a 1-1 draw after being held by Egypt at Lumen Field Stadium in Seattle. Despite boasting a squad featuring Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Thibaut Courtois, Belgium struggled to break down an energetic Egyptian side.
Egypt stunned Belgium in the 20th minute when Emam Ashour opened the scoring, exposing defensive vulnerabilities within the European side. Belgium found themselves outplayed for significant periods of the first half as Egypt's younger players used their pace and movement to create problems.
Belgium coach Rudi Garcia acknowledged the challenge posed by the African side after the match.
“No game’s an easy game in the World Cup,” Garcia said.
Captain Youri Tielemans also admitted that Belgium had failed to start strongly.
“We know that we had a bad start in the match,” Tielemans said.
Belgium introduced veteran striker Lukaku in the 66th minute, and his impact was immediate. A dangerous attacking move involving the forward ultimately resulted in an own goal by Egypt defender Mohammed Hany, bringing Belgium level. However, despite the presence of several star players, the Red Devils were unable to find a winner and had to settle for a share of the points.
The opening round of group-stage matches delivered two significant surprises as both Uruguay and Belgium, considered favorites in their respective fixtures, were denied victory by determined performances from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. The results have added early intrigue to the FIFA World Cup 2026, with both groups now wide open heading into the next round of matches.
About The Author
.jpg)
Comment List