HOUSTON — The Round of 32 bracket for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is finalized after six matches closed out Groups G, H and I, eliminating three teams outright and confirming Cabo Verde’s first knockout-stage appearance in the nation’s history. The result also sets up a Round of 32 meeting between Cabo Verde and defending champion Argentina.
Cabo Verde drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia at Houston Stadium, a result that eliminated the Saudis and sent the Blue Sharks through in their tournament debut without a single win. The information was initially disclosed by FIFA, which confirmed the Round of 32 draw shortly after the final group-stage results were confirmed.
Cabo Verde’s Debut Run Draws Argentina
Cabo Verde’s advance turns on a defensive identity built over three group matches rather than sustained attacking output. Against Saudi Arabia, the team again absorbed pressure for long stretches, conceding 15 attempts on goal while managing 47 percent possession, and held its shape to close the match scoreless. The same pattern held throughout the group stage, with Cabo Verde repeatedly ceding possession while remaining compact defensively, then probing for openings rather than forcing them.
The result makes Cabo Verde the first nation since Chile in 1998, and the first debutant since Slovakia in 2010, to advance from the group stage by drawing all three of its matches. The approach now faces its sternest examination. Argentina enters the Round of 32 as tournament favorite, built around finishers with extensive knockout-stage experience, a contrast to Cabo Verde’s roster of largely first-time World Cup participants. The matchup has drawn early attention as one of the round’s most closely watched pairings, pitting a defending champion against a nation making its tournament debut.
Saudi Arabia’s exit ends its campaign after a group stage in which the team remained competitive but could not convert that competitiveness into results against Cabo Verde or Group H’s stronger sides. The defeat leaves Saudi Arabia among three teams eliminated Friday, alongside Iraq and New Zealand.
France, Belgium and Spain Finish Atop Their Groups
France closed Group I with a 4-1 win over Norway built on a hat trick from Ousmane Dembélé, who scored three times in a match France controlled from the opening whistle. Deschamps’ side used rapid transitions and aggressive pressing to repeatedly disrupt Norway’s buildup, limiting the influence of Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, both central to Norway’s attack in earlier group matches. The result secured first place in Group I for France and reinforced its standing as one of the tournament’s strongest sides heading into the knockout rounds. Norway advanced as runner-up on the strength of two wins earlier in the group stage, a cushion that outlasted Friday’s loss.
Belgium recorded its most complete attacking performance of the tournament in a 5-1 win over New Zealand. Leandro Trossard scored twice, and Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers each added goals. The margin lifted Belgium to first place in Group G on goal difference, a reversal for a team that had scored only once across its first two group matches. The result gives Belgium momentum entering the knockout stage after a group campaign defined more by control than by finishing.
Spain claimed Group H with a 1-0 win over Uruguay, decided by a Uruguayan defensive error that included a red card for Agustín Canobbio. The result extended Spain’s group-stage pattern of controlled, possession-based play over high-scoring outcomes, a tactical approach Luis de la Fuente’s side maintained through all three group matches. Uruguay’s loss marked its second consecutive World Cup exit at the group stage and left it as the sole South American team eliminated before the knockout rounds.
Egypt and Senegal Close Group Stage Under Pressure
Egypt secured its first Round of 32 appearance with a 1-1 draw against Iran, a result confirmed after a stoppage-time Iranian goal was disallowed on video review. Mohamed Salah led Egypt’s attack through the match’s tensest stretches, capping a group stage in which he anchored Egypt’s scoring threat in all three matches. The draw was sufficient to advance Egypt regardless of how the remaining third-place rankings settled, marking one of the strongest World Cup campaigns in Egyptian football history.
Senegal closed its group with a 5-0 win over Iraq, with Habib Diallo and Idrissa Gana Gueye each scoring as Senegal controlled the match from the opening minutes. The result strengthened Senegal’s position among the tournament’s third-placed teams but left its advancement unresolved pending results from other groups. Iraq’s defeat confirmed its elimination, closing out a group-stage campaign in which the team struggled to generate consistent attacking output against stronger opposition.
Iran, Uruguay and Senegal now await confirmation of the tournament’s eight best third-placed finishers, the mechanism written into the 48-team format that extends qualification beyond the 24 group winners and runners-up already confirmed across all 12 groups.
The Round of 32 opens June 28, when Cabo Verde’s meeting with Argentina headlines a knockout stage in which every remaining match eliminates the losing team outright.
