José María Giménez Says Uruguay Can Dream Before Saudi Arabia
José María Giménez arrived at Uruguay’s World Cup debut against Saudi Arabia in Miami saying the team has enough to dream big. The defender and captain did it while managing an ankle injury that had slowed his return to training, but he said he was working well and ready if the coach needs him.
He also stood one match from 100 appearances for Uruguay, with 99 already on his record. That puts his first game at the tournament inside a wider Uruguay transition: older leaders still anchor the squad, while a group of younger players has already gone through several FIFA windows together.
Giménez on Uruguay's opening test
Giménez said the opener should be tight from the first whistle. He described Saudi Arabia as a side that has grown a lot, adding that its league has grown impressively as well. He expected an intense match decided by detail, with both teams trying to add points immediately.
He also pointed to the conditions. In Playa del Carmen, he said, the heat and humidity were intense enough that Miami felt fresh by comparison, and Uruguay’s acclimatization work was good. The plan, he said, is to let the climate affect the team as little as possible by managing the pace and moments of the game well.
99 matches for Uruguay
The personal milestone sits close enough to matter. Giménez said thinking about the 99 matches he has already played fills his chest with pride, and he credited his family and the people around him through the setbacks he has had. He also said he has changed over the years by better understanding his role and by managing the internal ego every player carries.
That experience is part of why he framed Uruguay as a group that can handle the moment. He said the squad has been working through generational change for a long time and now has many young players who have grown together across multiple international dates. For Uruguay, that leaves Monday’s opener not as a reset, but as the first proof of whether the mix can hold up against Saudi Arabia.
Miami and the match load
Giménez kept returning to the same practical point: body response and game management. He said he was physically well after the ankle injury, but whether he plays is still the coach’s decision. That leaves Uruguay with an experienced captain close to a century of caps, a squad that has already spent time together, and a first test that will be measured as much by control as by result.
