Al-Dawsari sees draw with Uruguay as valuable World Cup start for Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's captain Salem Al-Dawsari views the 1-1 draw against Uruguay in their World Cup 2026 opener as a valuable starting point. Despite not securing a win, Al-Dawsari expressed confidence in the team's performance, stating they deserved victory and showed they can compete with strong global opponents.

The Green Falcons took a disciplined approach, leading 1-0 at halftime through a goal from Abdulelah Al-Amri from a set piece. Uruguay increased their pressure in the second half, dominating possession and testing Saudi Arabia's organized defense. Goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais made crucial saves, frustrating Uruguay until Maximiliano Araujo scored the equalizer in the 80th minute.

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This is a good start, and I believe we deserved to win.

Despite the late setback, Al-Dawsari remains optimistic about Saudi Arabia's chances of advancing to the next round. He highlighted the team's ability to compete at the world level and stressed their ambition to achieve their best results in the tournament, not merely to participate.

"Step by step, we can qualify for the next round," said Al-Dawsari, who was also a key player in Saudi Arabia's historic win against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup. The team is determined to make a significant impact on the global stage.

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Step by step, we can qualify for the next round.