Group H of the 2026 FIFA World Cup took place from June 15 to 26, 2026. The group consisted of Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay.
Spain finished at the top of the group with two group game wins, allowing them to advance to the round of 32, where they defeated multiple teams in the knockout stage and became champions of this World Cup.
Cape Verde finished as runners-up after drawing all three of its group matches, becoming the first World Cup debutant (and the smallest nation) to advance to the knockout stage since Slovakia in 2010.
Uruguay finished third in the group and were eliminated, as their performance meant it would be impossible for them to be among the top eight third-place teams. Saudi Arabia finished fourth based on goal difference, and were also eliminated.
Teams Draw position Team Pot Confederation Method ofqualification Date ofqualification Finalsappearance Lastappearance Previous bestperformance FIFA Rankings November 2025 June 2026 H1 1 UEFA UEFA Group E winner November 18, 2025 17th 2022 Winner (2010) 1 2 H2 4 CAF CAF Group D winner October 13, 2025 1st — — 68 67 H3 3 AFC AFC fourth round Group B winner October 14, 2025 7th 2022 Round of 16 (1994) 60 61 H4 2 CONMEBOL CONMEBOL round robin fourth place September 4, 2025 15th 2022 Winner (1930, 1950) 16 16 Notes
Standings
In the round of 32: The winner of Group H, Spain, advanced to play the runner-up of Group J, Austria. The runner-up of Group H, Cape Verde, advanced to play the winner of Group J, Argentina.
Matches All times listed are local.
Spain vs Cape Verde The teams had never met before. The fixture marked Cape Verde's debut at the FIFA World Cup. The country was the third-smallest by population to qualify for the tournament, before Curaçao achieved qualification.
In the first half Spain's Ferran Torres hit the bar with a shot from close range after a header back from Marc Cucurella on the left. In the second half Mikel Oyarzabal had a shot blocked by Pico. Late on Diney almost put Cape Verde into the lead when he headed a corner straight at Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón with the game finishing 0–0 and producing one of the biggest shocks of the World Cup, with Vozinha as the Man of the Match for making seven saves in his World Cup debut.
Cape Verde committed a single foul during this game, the fewest in a FIFA World Cup match since data collection began in 1966.
GK 23Unai SimónRB 5 Marcos LlorenteCB 22Pau CubarsíCB 14Aymeric LaporteLB 24Marc CucurellaDM 16Rodri (c) CM 20Pedri CM 8 Fabián Ruiz RF 7 Ferran Torres CF 21Mikel OyarzabalLF 9 Gavi Substitutions:MF 6 Mikel Merino FW 19Lamine Yamal FW 10Dani Olmo FW 17Nico Williams Manager:Luis de la Fuente GK 1 VozinhaRB 22Steven MoreiraCB 4 PicoCB 3 DineyLB 13Sidny Lopes Cabral DM 6 Kevin PinaCM 15Laros Duarte CM 10Jamiro Monteiro RF 20Ryan Mendes (c)CF 19Dailon Livramento LF 7 Jovane Cabral Substitutions:MF 21Nuno da Costa MF 17Willy Semedo MF 14Deroy Duarte MF 8 João Paulo MF 18Telmo Arcanjo Manager:Bubista
Man of the Match: Vozinha (Cape Verde)
Assistant referees: Mohammad Al-Kalaf (Jordan) Ahmad Al-Roalle (Jordan) Fourth official: Andrés Rojas (Colombia) Reserve assistant referee: Alexander Guzmán (Colombia) Video assistant referee: Joe Dickerson (United States) Assistant video assistant referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar) Support video assistant referee: Fu Ming (China)
Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay
The teams had previously faced each other thrice, most recently in Uruguay's 1–0 win at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
In the 41st minute, Saudi Arabia went in front, Hassan Al-Tambakti's header from a corner on the right was parried out by Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera where Abdulelah Al-Amri finished the rebound with his right foot to the net from close range. With ten minutes to go, Maximiliano Araújo scored for Uruguay with a shot from the left after Mohammed Al-Owais had initially made a save to make it 1–1, which also became the final result of the affair.
GK 21Mohammed Al-OwaisRB 12Saud Abdulhamid CB 5 Hassan Al-TambaktiCB 4 Abdulelah Al-Amri LB 24Moteb Al-Harbi RM 26Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat CM 23Mohamed KannoCM 15Abdullah Al-KhaibariLM 10Salem Al-Dawsari (c)CF 9 Firas Al-Buraikan CF 7 Musab Al-Juwayr Substitutions:MF 6 Nasser Al-Dawsari DF 13 Nawaf Boushal DF 3 Ali Lajami MF 18 Alaa Al-Hejji FW 19 Abdullah Al-Hamdan Manager: Georgios Donis GK 23Fernando MusleraRB 13Guillermo VarelaCB 3 Sebastián CáceresCB 16Mathías OliveraLB 17Matías Viña RM 8 Federico Valverde (c)CM 5 Manuel Ugarte CM 6 Rodrigo BentancurLM 20Maximiliano Araújo CF 21Federico Viñas CF 9 Darwin Núñez Substitutions:MF 14 Agustín Canobbio MF 25 Juan Manuel Sanabria MF 7 Nicolás de la Cruz MF 18Brian Rodríguez FW 19Rodrigo Aguirre Manager: Marcelo Bielsa
Man of the Match: Federico Valverde (Uruguay)
Assistant referees: Daniele Bindoni (Italy) Alberto Tegoni (Italy) Fourth official: Drew Fischer (Canada) Reserve assistant referee: Micheal Barwegen (Canada) Video assistant referee: Marco Di Bello (Italy) Assistant video assistant referee: Ivan Bebek (Croatia) Support video assistant referee: Jérôme Brisard (France)
Spain vs Saudi Arabia The teams had met three times, including their first encounter in Spain's 1–0 group stage victory at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Spain won all matches, most recently a 5–0 friendly in 2012.
The fixture was Saudi Arabia's worst defeat at the World Cup since their 5−0 loss to hosts Russia in 2018, and their third-largest defeat in tournament history, tied with their 4–0 losses against hosts France in 1998 and Ukraine in 2006.
GK 23Unai SimónRB 12Pedro PorroCB 22Pau CubarsíCB 14Aymeric LaporteLB 24Marc CucurellaDM 16Rodri (c)CM 20Pedri CM 10Dani Olmo RF 19Lamine Yamal CF 21Mikel Oyarzabal LF 15Álex Baena Substitutions:FW 7 Ferran Torres FW 11Yéremy Pino MF 6 Mikel Merino FW 17Nico Williams MF 8Fabián Ruiz Manager:Luis de la Fuente GK 21Mohammed Al-OwaisCB 4 Abdulelah Al-Amri CB 3 Ali LajamiCB 5 Hassan Al-TambaktiRWB12Saud AbdulhamidLWB24Moteb Al-HarbiRM 7 Musab Al-Juwayr CM 15Abdullah Al-Khaibari CM 6 Nasser Al-Dawsari LM 10Salem Al-Dawsari (c) CF 9 Firas Al-Buraikan Substitutions:MF 23Mohamed Kanno FW 19Abdullah Al-Hamdan DF 26Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat MF 18Alaa Al-Hejji FW 17Khalid Al-Ghannam Manager: Georgios Donis
Man of the Match: Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain)
Assistant referees: Danilo Manis (Brazil) Rodrigo Figueiredo (Brazil) Fourth official: Andrés Rojas (Colombia) Reserve assistant referee: Alexander Guzmán (Colombia) Video assistant referee: Nicolás Gallo (Colombia) Assistant video assistant referee: Erick Miranda (Mexico) Support video assistant referee: Guillermo Pacheco (Mexico)
Uruguay vs Cape Verde
The two teams had never met before.
In the 21st minute, Kevin Pina scored with a low long range right footed free-kick from 30 yards that went through the middle of the defensive wall and into the bottom right corner of the net, it was the first ever goal for Cape Verde in the World Cup Finals. Maximiliano Araújo made it 1–1 the 44th minute when he dived low to head to the net from close range after Sidny Lopes Cabral had headed against his own post. In first-half stoppage time, Agustín Canobbio put Uruguay into a 2–1 lead when he finished low to the net from six yards out after a headed pass from Araújo from the left.
In the 61st minute it was 2–2 when a mistake by Mathías Olivera trying to play the ball across his own box allowed Hélio Varela to intercept and touch the ball to the side of Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera before side footing into the empty net from outside the penalty area on the right.
GK 23Fernando MusleraRB 13Guillermo VarelaCB 3 Sebastián CáceresCB 16Mathías Olivera LB 25Juan Manuel SanabriaDM 5 Manuel Ugarte CM 6 Rodrigo Bentancur CM 8 Federico Valverde (c)RF 14Agustín CanobbioCF 21Federico Viñas LF 20Maximiliano Araújo Substitutions:MF 7 Nicolás de la Cruz FW 9 Darwin Núñez MF 18Brian Rodríguez Manager: Marcelo Bielsa GK 1 VozinhaRB 22Steven MoreiraCB 4 PicoCB 3 Diney LB 13Sidny Lopes Cabral DM 6 Kevin Pina CM 20Ryan Mendes (c)CM 10Jamiro Monteiro RF 18Telmo Arcanjo CF 9 Gilson Benchimol LF 11Garry Rodrigues Substitutions:MF 14Deroy Duarte MF 26Hélio Varela FW 21Nuno da Costa MF 15Laros Duarte MF 16Yannick Semedo Manager:Bubista
Man of the Match: Kevin Pina (Cape Verde)
Assistant referees: Jan Erik Engan (Norway) Isaak Bashevkin (Norway) Fourth official: Tori Penso (United States) Reserve assistant referee: Brooke Mayo (United States) Video assistant referee: Willy Delajod (France) Assistant video assistant referee: Jérôme Brisard (France) Support video assistant referee: Dennis Higler (Netherlands)
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia
The two teams had never met before.
This result makes Cape Verde the first debutant to qualify past the group stage since Slovakia in 2010, and the first team to do so by drawing all three games since Chile in 1998. Additionally, they are only one of four debutants in the tournament to secure a spot in the round of 32.
In contrast, Saudi Arabia finished bottom of their group for the second consecutive World Cup, resulting in their elimination.
GK 1 VozinhaRB 24Wagner Pina CB 4 PicoCB 3 DineyLB 8 João PauloDM 6 Kevin PinaCM 14Deroy DuarteCM 10Jamiro Monteiro RF 20Ryan Mendes (c) CF 19Dailon Livramento LF 17Willy Semedo Substitutions:FW 21Nuno da Costa MF 26Hélio Varela MF 15Laros Duarte MF 11Garry Rodrigues DF 22Steven Moreira Manager:Bubista GK 21Mohammed Al-OwaisRB 12Saud Abdulhamid CB 4 Abdulelah Al-AmriCB 5 Hassan Al-Tambakti LB 13Nawaf Boushal RM 20Sultan Mandash CM 15Abdullah Al-Khaibari CM 6 Nasser Al-Dawsari LM 10Salem Al-Dawsari (c) CF 9 Firas Al-Buraikan CF 23Mohamed KannoSubstitutions:DF 3 Ali Lajami MF 7 Musab Al-Juwayr DF 26Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat FW 19Abdullah Al-Hamdan DF 24Moteb Al-Harbi Manager: Georgios Donis
Man of the Match: Deroy Duarte (Cape Verde)
Assistant referees: Cyril Mugnier (France) Mehdi Rahmouni (France) Fourth official: Abongile Tom (South Africa) Reserve assistant referee: Zakhele Siwela (South Africa) Video assistant referee: Marco Di Bello (Italy) Assistant video assistant referee: Willy Delajod (France) Support video assistant referee: Joe Dickerson (United States)
Uruguay vs Spain The teams had previously met ten times, including twice in the World Cup: a 2–2 final round draw in 1950 and a 0–0 group stage draw in 1990. Their latest encounter was Spain's 2–1 group stage victory at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup to keep their unbeaten head to head record. This was the only match in Group H played outside of the United States. Both teams returned to Mexican soil since the 1986 edition.
Uruguay's Agustín Canobbio was sent off with a straight red card. In addition, their 1–0 defeat marked the Uruguayan team's second consecutive exit from the group stage, and made it the sole South American team to fail to advance to the round of 32.
GK 23Fernando Muslera RB 13Guillermo Varela CB 3 Sebastián CáceresCB 16Mathías OliveraLB 25Juan Manuel Sanabria DM 5 Manuel Ugarte CM 6 Rodrigo BentancurCM 8 Federico Valverde (c) RF 14Agustín Canobbio CF 9 Darwin NúñezLF 20Maximiliano AraújoSubstitutions:MF 7 Nicolás de la Cruz GK 1 Sergio Rochet FW 21Federico Viñas MF 18Brian Rodríguez Manager: Marcelo Bielsa GK 23Unai SimónRB 5 Marcos LlorenteCB 22Pau CubarsíCB 14Aymeric LaporteLB 24Marc CucurellaDM 16Rodri (c)CM 6 Mikel Merino CM 20Pedri RF 19Lamine Yamal CF 21Mikel Oyarzabal LF 15Álex Baena Substitutions:MF 10Dani Olmo MF 8 Fabián Ruiz MF 11Yéremy Pino FW 17Nico Williams FW 7 Ferran Torres Manager:Luis de la Fuente
Man of the Match: Álex Baena (Spain)
Assistant referees: Corey Parker (United States) Kyle Atkins (United States) Fourth official: Juan Gabriel Calderón (Costa Rica) Reserve assistant referee: Juan Carlos Mora (Costa Rica) Video assistant referee: Tatiana Guzmán (Nicaragua) Assistant video assistant referee: Armando Villarreal (United States) Support video assistant referee: Khamis Al-Marri (Qatar)
Discipline