Uruguay salvaged a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia in their Group H opener at the Miami Stadium, Maxi Araújo equalising late after Abdulelah al-Amri had given the Saudis a shock lead against the run of play. But the on-field drama was overshadowed by thousands of empty seats in the 64,478-capacity stadium, despite only seven tickets showing as available on the official website at kick-off.
FIFA sources attributed the sparse attendance to a highway crash, but the spectacle highlighted the gap between Gianni Infantino's vision of the World Cup as '104 Super Bowls' and the reality of a group-stage match in a city with myriad entertainment options. Face values of $430 and $600 for category one and two tickets suggested speculative resale rather than deliberate no-shows.
“Thousands of empty seats marred Uruguay's late draw with Saudi Arabia as Belgium were also held by Egypt.”
Uruguay, managed by Marcelo Bielsa, dominated possession from the outset despite their preparations being disrupted by a flight delay from Cancún to Fort Lauderdale. But against the run of play, Al-Amri poked home to give Saudi Arabia the lead in first-half stoppage time. Araújo's equaliser came late, ensuring a share of the spoils that left Group H deadlocked after Cape Verde's stunning draw with Spain earlier in the day.
Elsewhere, in Group G, Belgium were held to a 1-1 draw by Egypt in a thrilling encounter. Emam Ashour opened the scoring with a superb strike, but a second-half own goal brought the Red Devils level. The result leaves both sides with a point apiece as the tournament continues.