Big Surprise! Cape Verde Accompanies Spain to Advance to the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Cape Verde made history by securing their spot in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup after playing out a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia in the final Group H match. This draw was enough to see them finish as group runners-up, joining Spain who locked in top group position after beating Uruguay 1-0.

Spain confirmed first place in Group H courtesy of their narrow win over Uruguay at Guadalajara Stadium, early Saturday WIB. La Furia Roja collected seven points from three matches, while Cape Verde ended the group stage with three points.

This result marks the end of the 2026 World Cup campaign for both Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. The South American side only managed to gain two points to finish third in the group, while Saudi Arabia sat at the bottom of the standings also with two points.

Spain created the first chance of the match through Mikel Oyarzabal, but his final effort drifted wide off the right side of Fernando Muslera's goal.

Alex Baena broke the deadlock for Spain in the 42nd minute. Even though Muslera got a hand to the shot, Baena's strike still crossed the line into Uruguay's net. Spain held the 1-0 lead unchanged going into half time.

As the second half kicked off, Spain remained in control of the match flow. Uruguay, who desperately needed a goal, played far more aggressively to keep their knockout stage qualification hopes alive.

In the 63rd minute, Spain almost doubled their advantage had Dani Olmo's shot not sailed over Uruguay's crossbar.

Uruguay got a chance in the 82nd minute through Nicolas Oliveira. Oliveira's powerful strike from outside the penalty box forced Unai Simon into making an outstanding save.

Tensions rose sharply in injury time after Agustin Canobbio was shown a red card for fouling Pau Cubarsi. However, the 1-0 score remained until the final whistle was blown.

Cape Verde Qualify For The 2026 World Cup Round Of 32

Cape Verde also played out an equally tense fixture against Saudi Arabia at Houston Stadium, Texas. Both sides required a win, resulting in a carefully contested match full of caution from both teams.

Cape Verde held dominant ball possession. They created multiple chances through Willy Semedo, Deroy Duarte and Laros Duarte. However, an excellent performance from goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais denied every single one of these attempts.

On the other side, Saudi Arabia also launched several threatening attacks through Mohamed Kanno and Salem Al-Dawsari, but solid defending from Cape Verde alongside crucial saves from Vozinha kept the score locked at 0-0 until the match ended.

With this result, Cape Verde has made history by advancing to the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup as Group H runners-up.