Miami Stadium will host the opening match of both Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In an intriguing Group H that also includes Spain and Cape Verde, none of these teams can afford to drop points early in the campaign.
The match will be officiated by Italian referee Maurizio Mariani, with his compatriots Daniele Bindoni and Alberto Tegoni serving as assistant referees. The fourth official will be Drew Fischer, while Michael Barwegen will act as the reserve assistant referee, both from Canada.
The VAR will be overseen by Italian official Marco Di Bello, who will work alongside Croatian referee Ivan Bebek as AVAR, with experienced French official Jérôme Brisard serving as SVAR.
The stadium has a capacity of approximately 65,000 spectators, and a full house is expected. Both teams will be aiming to start their World Cup campaign on the right foot.
Referee Maurizio Mariani reacts during the UEFA Conference League Final 2026.
Saudi Arabia and Uruguay kits
For this opener, both Saudi Arabia and Uruguay will wear their primary kits, according to the official FIFA website. The Asian side will take the field in an all-green strip, with the exception of its goalkeeper, who will wear yellow.
Uruguay, meanwhile, will wear their traditional and iconic sky-blue shirt, which gives the team its nickname, along with white shorts and socks. The goalkeeper will be dressed entirely in a reddish-orange kit.
@FIFA
Predicted lineups: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay
Awaiting official confirmation from both national teams, these are the potential starters for this game.
Saudi Arabia: Mohammed Al-Owais; Saud Abdulhamid, Hassan Al Tambakti, Ali Lawgami, Nawaf Bu Washl; Mohamed Kanno, Abdullah Al-Khaibari; Nasser Al-Dawsari, Musab Al-Juwayr, Salem Al-Dawsari; Firas Al-Buraikan.
Uruguay: Fernando Muslera; Guillermo Varela, Sebastian Caceres, Santiago Bueno, Mathias Olivera; Federico Valverde, Manuel Ugarte, Rodrigo Bentancur, Maximiliano Araujo; Federico Viñas, Darwin Nuñez.
