Uruguay faces Saudi Arabia in their first test at the World Cup. This match is seen as critical for the South American team in their goal to secure their first victory in the tournament.
The match will take place in Toluca, Mexico, starting at 1:00 AM on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday. Uruguay is preparing for the tournament under the management of coach Marcelo Bielsa.
Attention on the Uruguay side is focused on the performance of Federico Valverde in the squad. The team aims to make a strong start to the World Cup.
Uruguay has won the World Cup twice in its history. However, their elimination in the group stage of the last tournament has increased expectations for a better start this time.
Before the tournament, Uruguay played two warm-up matches against England and Algeria, both ending in draws. The match against Saudi Arabia is considered the team's first serious test in this new era.
On the Saudi Arabia side, the team has completed its final training sessions. They prepared for the match at the training center previously used by Inter Miami and Lionel Messi.
Saudi Arabia recently underwent a coaching change in their World Cup journey. Hervé Renard was dismissed, and Greek coach Giorgios Donis was appointed as the new head coach.
In the previous World Cup, Saudi Arabia also faced Argentina in their opening match and achieved a historic result. This time, they aim for a strong start against another opponent from the Americas.
The team is participating in the World Cup for the seventh time. Saudi Arabia reached the round of 16 in 1994 but failed to advance past the group stage in the last two tournaments.
