Sebastián Cáceres Starts for Uruguay, Brian Rodríguez Sits Against Saudi Arabia

sebastián cáceres was in Uruguay’s starting lineup for its World Cup 2026 opener against Saudi Arabia on June 15, but Brian Rodríguez was left out of Marcelo Bielsa’s initial eleven. Uruguay opened Group H at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami at 16:00 CDMX with Darwin Núñez, Federico Viñas and Maximiliano Araújo leading the attack.

Uruguay’s Group H opener

The lineup choice put Rodríguez on the bench for Uruguay’s first match of the tournament. Bielsa went with a front three of Núñez, Viñas and Araújo, a clear signal about where the coach wanted the first attacking minutes to go in Miami.

The match was the team’s first in Group H, so the selection carried immediate weight for a side entering World Cup play on Monday. That made the omission of Rodríguez one of the first personnel calls of Uruguay’s debut.

Brian Rodríguez’s numbers

Rodríguez arrived with 13 goals and 8 assists in 42 matches for América during the season. For Uruguay, he had 4 goals and 4 assists in 33 matches, production that put him in the conversation for minutes but did not place him in the opening XI.

He is also one of the Uruguay players representing Liga MX and América at the World Cup, which adds another layer to the decision. In a squad built around established attacking options, Bielsa chose Núñez, Viñas and Araújo to start the opener rather than the América winger.

Hard Rock Stadium decision

The game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami began at 16:00 CDMX, and the selection left Uruguay with a starting attack shaped without Rodríguez from the first whistle. For readers tracking América’s influence on the tournament, the immediate takeaway is simple: Cáceres starts, Rodríguez waits, and Uruguay opened the competition with its preferred front line already set by Bielsa.