Two-time champions Uruguay were pegged back to a 1–1 draw by an entirely home-based Saudi Arabia side in Miami — a reminder that La Celeste, the smallest country ever to win the World Cup, no longer overawe anyone.

This was a classic case of overwhelming territorial dominance failing to convert: Uruguay held a record 67% possession and fired 28 shots (22 of them after the break) to Saudi Arabia's 7, yet the xG gap was a modest 1.54 to 0.99 because much of that volume came from low-quality, congested-box attempts against a deep block. The Saudis took their one real chance — Al-Amri's 41st-minute header — and were rescued repeatedly by goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais, whose 9 saves single-handedly kept the underdogs ahead until Maxi Araujo's 80th-minute equaliser. Uruguay's 14 corners (12 in the second half alone) underline the late siege, but the 1-1 scoreline flatters neither the wastefulness of Bielsa's side nor the resilience of a Saudi team that defended for its life.