Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay: No Suárez, No Renard, and a Group H Opener Loaded With Subplots
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
Six-Pointer Before the Tournament Truly Begins
Spain are the clear Group H favourites in this 2026 World Cup predictions. That leaves one guaranteed knockout-round spot and a possible third-place lifeline for the rest.
Both Saudi Arabia and Uruguay know that losing tonight in Miami could leave them chasing a near-impossible result against the reigning European champions later in the group.
Uruguay are the two-time World Cup winners, first lifting the trophy in 1930 and again in 1950.
For Saudi Arabia's, the nation’s greatest World Cup moment is more recent: a 2-1 victory over eventual champions Argentina in the 2022 group stage, presenting one of the biggest upsets the tournament has seen.
Salem Al-Dawsari, who scored the winning goal that day, will captain the Green Falcons tonight.
Uruguay Without Their Greatest Striker
The biggest story surrounding this match has nothing to do with tactics. Luis Suarez, Uruguay's record goalscorer and a figure who has defined La Celeste for over a decade, was left out of the 26-man squad.
The 39-year-old had scored six goals in eleven MLS appearances for Inter Miami this season and publicly expressed his desire to play in one final World Cup. Bielsa opted for younger options.
"I wanted to be called up. Being Uruguayan, I would never turn down the national team, especially with a World Cup just around the corner." (Luis Suarez, May 2026)
Darwin Nunez, now at Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, leads the line instead.
Defensive Problems Compound the Loss
Uruguay's squad issues go beyond the Suarez decision. Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo is effectively ruled out with a calf injury, while captain Jose Maria Gimenez is nursing an ankle problem and remains a major doubt.
If both miss out, Bielsa will be forced to field a makeshift backline in the opening match of the tournament, something we factored in our Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay prediction.
The midfield, at least, is strong. Federico Valverde of Real Madrid has grown into one of the best all-round midfielders in world football, and Manchester United's Manuel Ugarte provides the defensive screen that Bielsa's high-pressing system demands.
What’s more, veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, 39, came out of international retirement for a fifth World Cup.
Saudi Arabia's Seven-Week Scramble
Saudi Arabia's preparations have been anything but smooth.
Herve Renard, the man who masterminded the Argentina victory in 2022, was sacked on April 17 after back-to-back friendly defeats to Egypt (4-0) and Serbia (2-1). The federation moved quickly, appointing Greek coach Georgios Donis seven days later.
Donis, a former Blackburn Rovers player who has spent much of his coaching career in the Saudi Pro League, has had just seven weeks with the squad.
His 26-man selection leans almost entirely on domestic talent. Twenty-five of the twenty-six players compete in the Roshn Saudi League, with RC Lens right-back Saud Abdulhamid the only European-based selection.
Saudi’s Quality Concerns
That domestic concentration raises questions about the level of opposition these players face week to week. The foreign superstars who have flooded the Saudi league in recent years have also squeezed Saudi strikers out of regular playing time.
The national team even managed just seven goals in ten qualifying matches.
Al-Dawsari, though, remains the talisman. The 33-year-old Al-Hilal captain carries 108 international caps and the memory of that goal against Argentina.
If Saudi Arabia are to pull off another shock against South American opposition, he will almost certainly be at the centre of it.
