Saudi Arabia draw with Uruguay. Weren't they supposed to be the "dark horses" in Group H?

 Hours after Cape Verde stunned Spain, another 2026 World Cup surprise seemed within reach in Miami when Saudi Arabia took the lead against Uruguay. A first-half goal by defender Abdulelah Al Amri at Hard Rock Stadium (after Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera released the ball and it hit his legs) gave the 49th-ranked FIFA team a provisional lead in Group H. However, in the 80th minute, Uruguay finally managed to score when Maxi Araujo found the net from a tight angle after Federico Viñas' earlier shot had been saved by the keeper. Saudi Mohammed Al Owais. Al Owais redeemed himself for his mistake at the end of the match, making several fantastic saves and securing one point for the team. In total, Uruguay had 21 shots on goal in this match. After one draw in this group, all four teams have one point after the first round of matches. For many years, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) received somewhat neglected attention in the FIFA men's World Cup, with only one team - South Korea in 2002 - reaching the semi-finals. When the 48-team format was adopted for the World Cup, many people believed that the quality of the tournament would decline, and with the participation of AFC teams increasing from six to nine, it was suggested that more Asian teams would qualify. So far in North America it's quite the opposite. AFC teams have not lost any of their first five matches at this World Cup, recording a total of two wins and three draws - with victories for South Korea and Australia and impressive comebacks for both teams - Qatar and Japan. Saudi Arabia will host the World Cup in eight years, and the national team's success is an important part of the government's vision for developing football in the country. The development of the AFC towards a stronger confederation will also help the development of the Saudi National Team. June 11, Group A - South Korea 2-1 Czech Republic June 13, Group B - Qatar 1-1 Switzerland June 13, Group D - Australia 2-0 Turkey June 14, Group E - Japan 2-2 Netherlands June 15, Group H - Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay. Even before the 2026 World Cup, Fernando Muslera was Uruguay's undisputed number one for the last three tournaments, leading his team to the semi-finals in 2010 and the knockout stages in 2014 and 2018. In Qatar, however, the 39-year-old goalkeeper, who moved to Argentina after ending his career in Europe and currently plays for Estudiantes, lost his place in the squad to Sergio Rochet and failed to play at the World Cup. Additionally, after being punished by FIFA with a four-year ban for aggressive behavior towards referees after Uruguay's last match at the World Cup, he announced his retirement from his international career in April 2024. To everyone's surprise, he was called up for the friendly matches in June 2024 and was already in the squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, making him the first Uruguayan player in history to be called up for five World Cups. However, in the match against Saudi Arabia, Musler scoreda mishap when in the 40th minute he missed Al Amri's shot and he shot the ball into the net, scoring a goal. Source: theathletic.com --- ## Related Articles 1. [Lionel Messi Matches Klose's World Cup Goal Record with Hat-Trick](https://pitchpulsemedia.com/en/news/lionel-messi-matches-kloses-world-cup-goal-record-with-hat-trick) 2. [World Cup 2026](https://azkalsgoal.com/fil/news/desisyon-ng-var-kontra-senegal-ikinagulat-ng-buong-mundo-bakit-walang-penalty-si-mbappe)