Uruguay winger Maximiliano Araujo, whose grandfather hails from the village of Loutolem in Goa, scored a late equalizer to earn his side a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia in their opening match of the FIFA World Cup.
Image: Maxi Araujo celebrates scoring Uruguay’s first goal and equalizing goal against Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais. Photography: Amanda Berobelli/Reuters
When Maximiliano Araujo scored Late equaliser To salvage a 1-1 draw for Uruguay in their World Cup opener against Saudi Arabia on Monday, June 15, 2026, the Uruguay bench breathed a sigh of relief.
Key points
- Maximiliano Araujo scored the equalizer in the 80th minute against Saudi Arabia, saving a point for Uruguay.
- Maximiliano is originally from Lotolem village in Goa.
- His grandfather Redwaldo moved to Angola and Brazil from Goa before settling in Uruguay.
Thousands of miles away around the world, in the Goan village of Loutolem, there were smiles too.
Uruguay winger Araujo has a little-known connection with Goa.
According to local media, Maxi’s grandfather, Redualdo Araujo, hails from the beautiful southern Juanan village that was also the birthplace of the famous artist Mario Miranda.
Like dozens of Goans who moved to Africa at that time, Redualdo moved to Angola in search of better opportunities. He then moved to Brazil and eventually settled in Rivera, Uruguay, where Maxi was born.
Maxi, who plays for Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon, made his international debut in 2023. The 26-year-old quickly became an influential player for the Uruguay national team. Since his debut, he has played 14 matches, scoring 4 goals, including 2 goals in 6 matches in the 2024 Copa America.
On Monday, Maxi prevented another upset in Group H after Spain’s earlier goalless draw with Cape Verde.
He took the lead 10 minutes before the end to save the tie, save face and save a valuable point for his team.
