MIAMI — Abdulelah Al Amri etched his name into World Cup history after becoming the first Arab player ever to score against Uruguay in the tournament.
The Saudi Arabia defender struck in the 41st minute of the Green Falcons’ 1-1 draw with Uruguay in their opening Group H match at FIFA World Cup 2026, ending a long-standing record held by the two-time world champions.
Al Amri reacted quickest after Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera parried a powerful header from Mohammed Kanno following a corner kick, converting the rebound to give Saudi Arabia a surprise lead before halftime.
The goal was particularly significant as Uruguay had never previously conceded to an Arab nation at a World Cup.
Before Monday’s encounter, Uruguay had faced Arab opposition twice in the tournament, defeating Egypt 1-0 and Saudi Arabia 1-0 during the 2018 World Cup in Russia while keeping clean sheets in both matches.
Al Amri’s strike also ended Uruguay’s impressive record in World Cup openers. The South Americans had kept clean sheets in their opening matches at both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, beating Egypt in Russia before drawing 0-0 with South Korea in Qatar.
The last time Uruguay conceded in its opening match of a World Cup came in 2014, when it suffered a 3-1 defeat to Costa Rica in Brazil.
For Al Amri, the goal carried additional significance as it was the first international goal of his career for Saudi Arabia.
Although Uruguay eventually equalized through Maximiliano Araújo in the second half, Al Amri’s historic strike helped Saudi Arabia secure a valuable point and provided one of the standout moments of the opening round of FIFA World Cup 2026.
Saudi Arabia will face Spain in its next Group H match, while Uruguay takes on Cape Verde.
Source: Saudi Gazette