The Saudi Arabian team was ten minutes away from generating another World Cup feat like the one four years ago when it beat the eventual world champion, Argentina, and now it did so at the expense of another of the historic South Americans like Uruguay, with whom it ended up drawing 1-1.

The Uruguayans paid dearly for being too hesitant, fearful in deploying their tremendous arsenal and they almost paid dearly for that mediocre attitude when they fell victim to defender Abdulelah Al-Amri's goal five minutes from the end of the first half.

But unlike the World Cup tournament in Qatar, which was able to turn the score around in a surprising way after Lionel Messi's goal in the 10th minute with scores from Saleh Al Sheri in the 46th minute and Salem Al Dawsarial in the 53rd minute, now Maxi Araújo, forward of the Sporting Club of Portugal, managed to avoid the major upset for the Charrúas. Uruguay, when it found itself in trouble after several failures by its attacking men such as Darwin Núñez, Federico Viñas, Federico Valverde, Brian Rodríguez, Nicolás de la Cruz, Federico Canobbio and Rodrigo Aguirre, tried by all means to nest the ball in the Arabs' nets, but goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais. Uruguay came close to winning in the final minutes against a Saudi defense overwhelmed by the siege, although goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais decided that both teams would share a point in their World Cup debut. The start was slow, but then followed fifteen hectic minutes in which Uruguay was able to take the lead with a header from Fede Viñas from close range that was stopped by Al-Owais. However, it was Saudi Arabia who ended up gaining the advantage thanks to their superiority in aerial balls. Fernando Muslera, who will turn 40 tomorrow and is playing in his fifth World Cup, first fantastically saved a cross shot from a corner kick by Abdudelah Al-Amri, but in a new corner kick he left a rebound in the small area that Cristiano Ronaldo's teammate at Al-Nassr pushed into the goal. The goal shook Uruguay and pushed it to play more directly, a formula with which it generated more danger than in the previous 40 minutes, in which possession without verticality did not allow it to open the block under its rival. These efforts had to be multiplied during the second half so that Uruguay did not equal the result, improved with the entry of Agustín Canobbio and Juan Manuel Sanabria at half-time, by the ill-advised Darwin Núñez and Federico Viñas. He was very close to achieving it when a strong low shot by Manuel Ugarte from outside the area hit the right post of Al-Owais' goal, which further motivated Uruguay's efforts to reach the equalizer.

It was precisely one of those centers, this time finished off by Viñas, that meant the tie. It didn't come first after the header, but the rebound fell to Maximiliano Araújo and he scored hard against the goalkeeper's post. Both were the two most dangerous men of a Uruguay that had ten minutes of siege to debut with victory. Between crosses and shots of all colors, it was the captain, Fede Valverde, who had it closest in stoppage time with a long shot. However, Al-Owais appeared again with a good hand that sent him to a corner, and made it clear that the score was not going to move in Miami.