Luis Suarez put both Uruguay and hosts Russia into the second round of the World Cup while eliminating Saudi Arabia and Egypt at the same time.
Suarez scored the winning goal in his 100th international appearance for Uruguay, knocking in a corner kick from Carlos Sanchez in the 23rd minute to give the two-time champions a 1-0 victory over the Saudis on Wednesday.
It was the Barcelona striker’s 52nd goal for his country in a century of games.
“All we wanted to do was to win and qualify for the next round. Today was another demonstration that it is so difficult to win a game in a World Cup,” said man-of-the-match Suarez.
“This World Cup is proving that what matters most is the result, and we’re very proud to have reached the last 16 for the third time in a row.”
The 31-year-old became the first Uruguayan player to score in three World Cups. He is the ninth player overall and third from his country to score in his 100th international match.