Historic World Cup match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia underway at Miami Stadium

MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - It’s a historic day in South Florida as Miami Stadium hosts a World Cup match for the first time.

When the teams for Saudi Arabia and Uruguay hit the pitch at 6 p.m. on Monday evening, it marked the first World Cup match to ever be played on the field at the transformed stadium.

On a day that has been years in the making, fans from all over South Florida made their way toward Miami Gardens to witness the beautiful game in a way they never have before.

“Miami isn’t New York or L.A. so you’re gonna feel it if you’re in the city. You’re gonna see the colors of the countries, you’re gonna hear the fans singing. I wish I could get down there for a game or two, and they have some good ones there as well. Some of the heavy hitters are gonna be participating in Miami so soak it all in,” said MLS announcer Max Bretos.

Monday’s match is just the first of seven that are scheduled to happen in the Magic City. Saudi Arabia and Uruguay will kickoff the first match for Group H.

Uruguay, a nation consisting of about 3.5 million people, has a rich history in soccer, including a reputation of producing world-class talent.

Head coach Marcelo Bielsa said his squad has an aggressive gameplan in mind.

“Our style of gameplay is not a secret. We try to cover the possessions of the ball, attack with many players. We like to play on the opposite side of the field, on our opponent’s side,” a translation of Bielsa said.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia enters the 2026 World Cup under new leadership, with the federation hiring their coach in April, only allowing him a few months to make his mark with his team before they had to travel for the global tournament.

Despite the short amount of time Saudi Arabia had to overhaul their squad, Uruguay said it does not see it as a disadvantage for their opponents.

“We never find our rivals easy to play against or accessible. The conclusion of our opponent is evaluated at the end of the match,” a translation of Bielsa said.

With the stage set and no more time to practice for either team, the time is now for both sides to battle on the pitch to see who comes out on top to start the competition.

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