Real Salt Lake midfielder Juan Manuel SanSBria, nicknamed JuanMa, and the Uruguay national team faced Saudi Arabia in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday, June 15. The match was held in Miami as part of Group H competition.
Sanabria's call up to Uruguay
Sanabria, a 26-year-old left-sided playmaker, was named to the South American squad by Uruguay manager Marco Bielsa two weeks prior to the tournament opener.
Sanabria's recent MLS performance
During the 2026 MLS campaign, Sanabria led Real Salt Lake with six assists in 11 games played. He joined the club in late January from Liga MX side Atlético San Luis on a permanent transfer for the 2026 and 2027-28 seasons.
Uruguay's tournament schedule and ranking
Uruguay entered the tournament as the 17th ranked FIFA nation. Following their match against Saudi Arabia, the team was scheduled to play Cape Verde on June 21 in Miami before completing group play against Spain in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 26.
Real Salt Lake upcoming schedule
Following the World Cup break, Real Salt Lake was scheduled to resume preseason training at the Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman on June 17. The club's upcoming schedule included a preseason match against Burnley FC at America First Field in Sandy on July 15, followed by a return to MLS regular season action against Los Angeles Football Club on July 22.
