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Saudi Arabia and Uruguay will both look to start their 2026 World Cup campaigns with a win when they go head-to-head at Hard Rock Stadium on Monday.
The teams have been drawn in Group H of the tournament, where they will compete with Spain and Cape Verde for a place in the round of 32.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out the rest of today's betting tips for more of our expert predictions.
Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay key stats
- Saudi Arabia have won just one of their last six games (D1, L4).
- Uruguay are unbeaten in eight of their last nine matches leading up to Monday's game (W4, D4).
- Four of the last five matches involving Saudi Arabia have produced at least three goals.
- In contrast, only two of Uruguay’s last seven matches have yielded more than two goals.
Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay preview: La Celeste aiming to make up for underwhelming 2022 outing
| Saudi Arabia | vs | Uruguay |
|---|---|---|
| 61st | FIFA Ranking | 16th |
| Salem Al-Dawsari (111) | Most Caps | Fernando Muslera (134) |
| Salem Al-Dawsari (27) | Most Goals | Giorgian de Arrascaeta & Darwin Nunez (13) |
| 927 | Total Caps | 933 |
| 96 | Total Goals | 74 |
| 0 | Uncapped Players | 0 |
After pulling off arguably the biggest upset of the 2022 World Cup by beating Argentina in their opening match, Saudi Arabia began dreaming of a first knockout appearance since 1994. However, defeats in their subsequent group-stage games against Poland and Mexico led to an early exit.
Herve Renard was dismissed shortly afterwards in March 2023, before returning in November 2024, a period when the Green Falcons' World Cup hopes were hanging in the balance after finishing third in Group C of the AFC qualifiers behind Japan and Australia.
Saudi Arabia then went through a three-team fourth round, finishing top ahead of Iraq on goal difference to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup finals; only the second time in their history they have achieved this feat.
With World Cup qualification secured, Saudi Arabia travelled to Qatar for the 2025 Arab Cup and made a bright start with wins in their first two games, only to bow out to Jordan in the semi-finals.
That result ushered in a run of four straight defeats, during which Herve Renard departed once again. He has since been replaced by Georgios Donis, following Donis's exit from Saudi Pro League side Al-Khaleej.
Donis began his tenure with a 2-1 defeat to Ecuador, responded with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Puerto Rico, and then oversaw a goalless draw in Saudi Arabia's final warm-up fixture.
Like Saudi Arabia, Uruguay made an early exit from the 2022 World Cup, prompting a managerial change as Diego Alonso was dismissed after 13 months in charge. The arrival of Marcelo Bielsa sparked a turnaround for La Celeste, who lost just one of their 10 matches in 2023 and picked up 13 of the first 18 points available in CONMEBOL qualifying.
Uruguay endured a difficult start to 2024, failing to win any of their first three matches. They responded with four straight wins, the last three coming in the Copa America before a semi-final exit to Colombia.
Returning to World Cup qualifying in September 2024, Uruguay hit another rough patch, securing just one win from nine matches before closing out the campaign with seven points from the last nine available to finish fourth.
Uruguay beat the Dominican Republic and Uzbekistan in their first World Cup warm-up friendlies, but have since been held to three draws and a defeat in their next four, most recently a 0-0 stalemate with Algeria.
Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay form guide & betting tips
| Saudi Arabia | vs | Uruguay |
|---|---|---|
LLLWD |
Form | WDLDD |
| 5 | Goals For | 4 |
| 8 | Goals Against | 7 |
N/A |
World Cup 2026 | N/A |
Whispers predicts: Saudi Arabia 1-2 Uruguay
Monday's meeting will be the second encounter between these teams at this level, following Uruguay's narrow 1-0 victory at the 2018 World Cup. We are backing the South Americans to prevail over their Middle Eastern opponents once again at 11/25 (1.44).
While Uruguay are favourites, they are without two key defenders, Jose Maria Gimenez and Ronald Araujo, which could give Saudi Arabia an opportunity to get on the scoresheet. As a result, Both Teams to Score – Yes has huge appeal at 11/10 (2.10).
Only one of Saudi Arabia's last five games has yielded fewer than three goals. Given the attacking strength of both teams, over 2.5 goals at Evens (2.00) looks a strong selection.
> Uruguay to win at 11/25 (1.44) | Likelihood: Probable
> Both teams to score – Yes at 11/10 (2.10) | Likelihood: Possible
> Over 2.5 goals at Evens (2.00) | Likelihood: Possible