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The game on Tuesday morning.
Uruguay live in an atmosphere of anticipation and caution hours before kick-off in their first match of the 2026 World Cup against Saudi Arabia, in a match widely seen as the deciding gate on their journey in Group H, which also includes Spain and Cape Verde.
According to Uruguayan newspaper Ovacion, coach Marcelo Bielsa’s press conference grabbed headlines after he addressed the coaching staff’s responsibility for injuries to the team ahead of the tournament, while stressing his great respect for the Saudi Arabian team, which he described as “a team that seeks to impose its style and is not satisfied with defending”.
In another report, the newspaper discussed the preparation of the Saudi Arabian national team under the leadership of Greek coach Georgios Donis, noting that the last phase of preparation showed an inconsistency of work and that a sudden technical change weeks before the start of the tournament made it difficult to predict the true level of the team, despite elements capable of making changes.
As for the “La Diario” newspaper, it chose an astonishing title for its report. “Emotion Control…Uruguay kicks off against Saudi Arabia” focused on the psychological aspect of the clash as it warned of rush and tension in the opening game, often the toughest at major tournaments.
Most of the Uruguayan media agree that a win against Saudi Arabia is a necessity, not an option, given that the battle for top spot in the group will be with Spain and that any early slip-up could put the team under a lot of pressure in the next rounds, according to Cripto newspaper.
The reports also warned against underestimating the Saudi national team, citing their historic victory over Argentina at the 2022 World Cup and stressing that Al-Akhdar could surprise the seniors when he plays without pressure.
Technically, Federico Valverde and Darwin Núñez lead the two main pillars of Bielsa’s project, while the participation of Ronald Araujo and Georgian de Arascaeta remains in doubt as their medicals continue before the expected kick-off.
