HERRIMAN, Utah (Tue., June 16, 2026) — Uruguay couldn't make their second-half dominance pay against Saudi Arabia as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in Miami. In many eyes, Uruguay was able to salvage the point after halftime substitute JuanMa Sanabria changed the game and helped his home nation find the front foot.
Juan Manuel Sanabria was one of Uruguay's outstanding players in the 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia for the first date of group H of the FIFA World Cup 2026, despite having entered at the half, down 0-1 in Miami.
The Real Salt Lake left wing - who questioned only a month go how much of a role he would see in the North American quadrennial - assured fans that debuting in a World Cup "is the dream of every Uruguayan child," but, equally, he did not leave happy: "I tried to enjoy it as much as I could, but the result is a pity."
Sanabria continued: "I am upset because we didn't get the result … There were three points that we had to take. We had the weapons to win it."
In the second half, Sanabria’s presence opened up the game for La Celeste:
"we stood higher, especially in the lateral positions; Saudi sank a little and we could play closer to the area," he analyzed.
At the time of entry, Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa asked Sanabria for "intensity" and "to go back and forth through the attack," referencing the player’s unique skill sets that "characterize him." With teammates Maximiliano Araújo first and with Brian Rodríguez later, Sanabria was able to combine effectively and "make good circuits, sometimes on the outside and sometimes on the inside."
Finally, Sanabria left a message to the Uruguayans who were at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami:
"Thank them because the stadium was full, it felt like we were locals."
Bielsa's Uruguayan team started the match well, only for the first-half hydration break to cause a momentum shift in the game.
It was only after that still-bizarre stoppage that Saudi Arabia began to create chances.
And when Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera spilled Hassan Al-Tambakti’s header, Abdulelah Al-Amri was able to poke in the rebound to give Saudi Arabia a halftime lead.
Bielsa replaced former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez at halftime, and Uruguay improved enough to control the second half. But with Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais making a string of saves, they had to wait until the 80th minute for an equaliser. In almost a carbon copy of Saudi Arabia’s goal, Maxi Araujo turned in the rebound after a header from Federico Vinas came back off Al-Owais.
Uruguay ended the 90 minutes with 28 shots and 10 on target while Saudi Arabia barely crossed the halfway line in the second half. Al-Owais made nine saves and Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte hit the post.
A point apiece means that after Spain’s surprise draw with Cape Verde earlier in the day, Group H remains wide open after the opening games.
Next up for Uruguay is a date on Sunday (4:00p MT) with Cup darlings Cape Verde, once again in Miami, where Uruguay will enjoy a distinct home-field advantage. Will Sanabria - RSL’s 2026 assist leader with six, and a potential MLS Newcomer of the Year candidate - earn the starting nod for Bielsa and the proud Uruguay side?
RSL players, coaches and staff are now on hiatus until Wednesday, June 17, when a summer preseason will resume in its Herriman-based Zions Bank Training Center. RSL is expected to play a trio of preseason matches to be announced on June 27 and July 8 before hosting English Championship side Burnley FC at America First Field in Sandy on Wednesday, July 15, prior to a return to 2026 MLS reg. season action on Wed., July 22, at Los Angeles Football Club. RSL also travels to Portland on Sat., July 25 and St. Louis on Sat., August 1 in Major League Soccer action prior to a trio of Leagues Cup contests at home.
The fourth-year MLS vs. Liga MX tournament sees RSL host the legendary Tigres UANL on Tues., August 4 at America First Field, kicking off a run that also sees Atlante CF on Sat., August 8 and FC Juarez on Tues., August 11, prior to home MLS contests against Minnesota United on Sat., August 15 and FC Dallas on Wed., August 19. Those five home games in 16 days could be critical to RSL’s 2026 campaigns on various fronts, with Head Coach Pablo Mastroeni’s side boasting seven wins in eight home matches so far in 2026.
Please visit www.RSL.com/tickets for more information on RSL’s MLS and Leagues Cup slates.
