Saudi Arabia and Uruguay have named their starting teams for their 2026 World Cup opener in Miami on Monday.
The Green Falcons produced one of the greatest finals upsets of all time in their first match at the 2022 tournament, beating an Argentina side who would go on to lift the trophy.
Uruguay lifted the trophy in 1930 and 1950 and have reached the semi-finals twice, but their campaign ended in the group stage four years ago.
The match is the second to take place in Group H, which started with Spain taking on Cape Verde in Atlanta earlier in the day.
Match ready 🇸🇦💯#FIFAWorldCup 🔜#GreenFalcons pic.twitter.com/y8vCRryZ2B
— Saudi National Team (@SaudiNT_EN) June 15, 2026
World Cup 2026: Saudi Arabia confirmed team vs Uruguay
Al-Nassr goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aqidi is out with a hamstring injury for Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia starting XI: Alowais; Alamri, Altambakti, Abdulhamid, Alharbi, Abu Alshamat; Aljuwayr, Alkhaibari, Kanno; Albrikan, Aldawsari
Saudi Arabia substitutes: Alaqidi, Alkassar, Majrashi, Lajami, Bu Washl, Kadish, Thikri, Aldawsari, Aljohani, Alhajji, Yahya, Alshehri, Alghannam, Alhamddan, Mandash
World Cup 2026: Uruguay full line up vs Saudi Arabia
Ronald Araujo (calf) and Giorgian de Arrascaeta (calf) are out of the matchday squad while Jose Gimenez (ankle) has to settle for a place on the bench. Matias Vina (muscle) and Sebastian Caceres (head) have been passed fit and start.
All-time top scorer Luis Suarez had hinted he would be open to coming out of international retirement but was not called up, making this the first time Uruguay have been to a World Cup without the Inter Miami marksman since 2002.
Uruguay starting XI: Muslera; Caceres, Varela, Olivera, Vina; Ugarte, Bentancur, Valverde, Araujo; Nunez, Vinas
Uruguay substitutes: Rochet, Mele, Gimenez, Bueno, De la Cruz, Canobbio, Martinez, Piquerez, Sanabria, Zalazar, Pellistri, Rodriguez, Aguirre
Where to watch Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay: TV channel, live online stream
Kick-off on Monday is at 23:00 BST (18:00 ET / 15:00 PT). In the UK, live coverage is on ITV1.
Fans can stream the action via ITV’s website and ITVX app, which is available on a vast variety of devices for viewing on the go.
World Cup 2026: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay stats
- Saudi Arabia have advanced beyond the first round in one of their six previous World Cup appearances, at the 1994 tournament in the US
- They have lost 68% of their World Cup matches (13/19), which is the highest loss rate of any nation to have played 15 or more games at the tournament
- In their 19 matches at the finals, Saudi Arabia’s sole clean sheet came in a 1-0 win against Belgium in the 1994 group stage
- Only Iraq and Japan (12 each) bettered Saudi Arabia’s total of 10 clean sheets in Asian qualifying, including four across their last six games of the campaign, featuring a 0-0 draw with Japan in March 2025
- Salem 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 the feat
- Herve Renard is at his third World Cup as head coach, having previously led Morocco in 2018 and Saudi Arabia in 2022. That win over Argentina was the Frenchman’s only win at the finals (D1 L4)
- Inaugural champions in 1930 and again in 1950, Uruguay are one of only six teams to have won the
- FIFA World Cup multiple times, alongside Brazil, Germany, Italy, Argentina and France.
- This is Uruguay’s 15th World Cup participatio and their fifth in a row, with their best performances since their last triumph in 1950 coming when they finished fourth in 1954, 1970 and 2010
- Uruguay recorded 147 high turnovers in South American qualifying, which is at least 26 more than any other nation, ahead of Argentina’s 121 in second
- Darwin Nunez was involved in the most goals for Uruguay during qualifying (5 goals, 2 assists) while only Colombia’s James Rodriguez (7) delivered more assists than Maxi Araujo (4)
- This will be Marcelo Bielsa’s third World Cup as head coach, with a third different nation: Argentina in 2002 (knocked out in the group stage) and Chile in 2010 (knocked out by Brazil in the round of 16)
- Only Bora Milutinovic and Carlos Alberto Parreira (5 each) and Henri Michel (4) have managed more teams at the tournament
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