Belgium Surge to Group G Summit as Egypt Make History
Belgium produced a stunning final-day performance to finish top of Group G, while Egypt made history by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup knockout stages for the first time ever.
The Red Devils opened their campaign with consecutive draws against Egypt (1-1) and Iran (0-0), leaving them in third place after two matchdays. However, they responded in emphatic fashion on the final day, thrashing New Zealand 5-1 to leapfrog their rivals and secure first place with five points.
Egypt also enjoyed a memorable tournament. After earning a hard-fought draw against Belgium, the Pharaohs defeated New Zealand 3-1 before playing out another 1-1 draw with Iran. Their unbeaten campaign saw them finish second on five points, securing a historic first-ever qualification for the Round of 32.
Iran remained unbeaten throughout the group stage, drawing all three of their matches against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt. Their three-point tally leaves them in third place, and they must now wait to see if it is enough to earn one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed qualification spots.
New Zealand’s campaign came to an end after picking up just one point from three matches. A draw against Iran was followed by defeats to Egypt and Belgium, leaving the All Whites bottom of the group and eliminated from the tournament.
Final Group G Standings
| GROUP G | |||||||
| TEAM | MP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | BELGIUM | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| 2 | EGYPT | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 3 | IRAN | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | NEW ZEALAND | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -6 | 1 |
Belgium advance to the Round of 32 as Group G winners after a remarkable rise from third place on the final matchday, while Egypt celebrate a historic first-ever qualification for the World Cup knockout stages. Iran’s World Cup fate now rests on the outcome of the remaining groups, while New Zealand bow out at the group stage.
Spain Top Group H as Unbeaten Cabo Verde Reach Historic Knockout Stage
Spain secured top spot in Group H with an unbeaten record, while Cabo Verde made history by reaching the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 despite not winning a single group-stage match.
Spain opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Cabo Verde before responding emphatically with a 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia. They sealed first place on the final matchday with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Uruguay, finishing the group with seven points.
Cabo Verde enjoyed a remarkable campaign of resilience, drawing all three of their matches. After holding Spain to a 0-0 stalemate in their opener, they earned a 2-2 draw against Uruguay before another disciplined defensive display resulted in a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia. Their three points were enough to finish second and secure automatic qualification for the Round of 32, becoming one of the few teams in World Cup history to progress from the group stage without winning a match.
Uruguay were unable to find a breakthrough despite drawing their opening two fixtures against Saudi Arabia and Cabo Verde. A narrow 1-0 defeat to Spain on the final matchday left La Celeste in third place with two points, ending their World Cup campaign at the group stage.
Saudi Arabia also finished with two points after earning draws against Uruguay and Cabo Verde, but a heavy 4-0 defeat to Spain left them bottom of the group on goal difference. Their early exit means both Uruguay and Saudi Arabia are eliminated from the tournament.
Final Group H Standings
| GROUP H | |||||||
| TEAM | MP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | SPAIN | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| 2 | CABO VERDE | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | URUGUAY | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -1 | 2 |
| 4 | SAUDI ARABIA | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -4 | 2 |
Spain advance to the Round of 32 as Group H winners, while Cabo Verde’s unbeaten campaign and three consecutive draws earned them a historic place in the knockout stages despite not registering a single victory. Uruguay and Saudi Arabia are both eliminated after falling short in a tightly contested Group H.
France Cruise Through Group I with Perfect Record
France delivered a flawless group-stage campaign to finish top of Group I with a maximum nine points, while Norway secured second place to join Les Bleus in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32.
The French began their campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Senegal before comfortably defeating Iraq 3-0. They capped off an outstanding group stage by producing a dominant 4-1 win over Norway on the final matchday, finishing with three wins from three, 10 goals scored and just two conceded.
Norway made a strong start to their campaign with a 4-1 victory over Iraq before edging Senegal 3-2 in an entertaining encounter. Having already secured qualification for the knockout stages, they suffered a 4-1 defeat to group winners France on the final matchday but still finished second with six points to book their place in the Round of 32.
Senegal bounced back from successive defeats with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Iraq on the final matchday. Although they finished third with three points, their positive goal difference of +2 leaves them in contention for one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed qualification spots.
Iraq endured a difficult campaign, suffering defeats in all three matches and finishing bottom of the group without a point.
| GROUP I | |||||||
| TEAM | MP | W | D | L | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | FRANCE | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 |
| 2 | NORWAY | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | SENEGAL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 4 | IRAQ | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | -11 | 0 |
France advance to the Round of 32 as Group I winners with a perfect record, while Norway qualify as runners-up. Senegal remain hopeful of progressing as one of the competition’s best third-placed teams.
