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The FIFA World Cup has always been about the stars. The 2026 iteration of the competition figures to feature more than ever before.
With 48 teams set to take part in the festivities, things are poised to get that much more enchanting. Football’s greatest talents are a major reason for that. Group H, which includes the world’s current top team, houses many such talents. Here’s a look at the cluster that includes top-dog Spain as well as Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
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World Cup Group H schedule
Group H table
| Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Spain | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2. | Cape Verde | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3. | Saudi Arabia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4. | Uruguay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group H fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Mon, Jun. 15 | TBD | Spain vs. Cape Verde | TBD |
| Mon, Jun. 15 | TBD | Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay | TBD |
| Sun, Jun. 21 | TBD | Spain vs. Saudi Arabia | TBD |
| Sun, Jun. 21 | TBD | Uruguay vs. Cape Verde | TBD |
| Fri, Jun. 26 | TBD | Uruguay vs. Spain | TBD |
| Fri, Jun. 26 | TBD | Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia | TBD |
Note that the full list of match venues and times will be updated by FIFA on Dec. 6 following the World Cup draw.
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World Cup Group H teams
Spain
In 2010, Spain followed up their Euro 2008 triumph by sweeping to World Cup glory in South Africa. In 2014, La Roja’s sequel to Euro 2012 was crashing out in the group stage in Brazil. Which version will Luis de la Fuente’s European champions of 2024 most closely resemble?
It feels safe to say the latter. Spain are blessed with the otherworldly talents of Lamine Yamal and impressive attacking depth, along with midfielders such as Pedri, Fabian Ruiz, Gavi, Rodri and Martin Zubimendi, who hark back to their previous golden period. Spain topped UEFA Group E during qualification, only dropping points in their final game against Turkey once a place at the 2026 tournament was confirmed.
Prior to the class of 2010 earning sporting immortality, Spain were the World Cup’s great what-if story. Despite producing some of the greatest club sides ever seen, success for the national team on the grandest stage proved elusive. A fourth-placed finish in 1950 remains their next-best effort.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 1st
- Regional ranking: 1st (UEFA)
- World Cup titles: 1 (2010)
- World Cup appearances (last): 16 (Qatar 2022)
- How qualified: UEFA Group E winners: 5W-0L-1D
- Coach: Luis de la Fuente (Spain) since December 2022
- Key player(s): Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Pedri (Barcelona), Rodri (Manchester City)
Uruguay
After an intense qualifying campaign, with ups and downs and memorable victories, Uruguay secured their place at the World Cup by finishing fourth in the CONMEBOL standings.
After being eliminated in the group stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, La Celeste hired legendary Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa. However, he failed to live up to expectations, and Uruguay head into this tournament with more doubts than certainties. Nevertheless, the Charrua spirit and a possible change of direction from “El Loco” promise to make the two-time world champions a tough nut to crack.
Uruguay have a storied history in World Cups. Champions in the first edition in 1930 and again in 1950, they have never played all the matches in a single tournament since then. In 2026, Federico Valverde, Ronald Araujo, and Manuel Ugarte will be the pillars of a team with the ambition to fight against anyone and return to their best moments.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 16th
- Regional ranking: 4th (CONMEBOL)
- World Cup titles: 2 (1930, 1950)
- World Cup appearances (last): 16 (Qatar 2022)
- How qualified: 4th in South American qualifying: 7W-4L-7D
- Coach: Marcelo Bielsa (Argentina) since May 2023
- Key player(s): Federico Valverde (Real Madrid), Ronald Araujo (Barcelona), Manuel Ugarte (Manchester United)
Saudi Arabia
The world began to take the Saudi Arabia national team seriously when they beat Argentina to open the 2022 World Cup. Argentina would go on to win the tournament title, giving the Saudi team extra clout for their achievement.
Building towards hosting the 2034 edition, Saudi Arabia have poured money into their domestic league, and it has paid dividends in elevating the level of their top national-team players as well. As a result, nearly their entire roster is made up of individuals playing their club football domestically.
Qualifying was a little more nervy than they would have liked: they were forced to advance via the fourth round after missing out on a third-round spot, but they made the tournament in the end.
Head coach Herve Renard has the look of a Bond villain, but his achievements in elevating the Saudi team have been the highlight of his mercenary career. After leading the side during the 2022 World Cup, he departed for the France women’s team but returned after a year away. His rousing halftime speech in the 2022 Argentina win went viral.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 60
- Regional ranking: 8th (AFC)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 6 (Qatar 2022)
- How qualified: AFC Fourth Round Group B winner: 1W-0L-1D
- Coach: Herve Renard (France) since October 2024 (2nd stint, previously 2019-2023)
- Key player(s): Salem Al-Dawsari (Al Hilal), Nawaf Al-Aqidi (Al Nassr), Mohamed Kanno (Al Hilal)
Cape Verde
Only Iceland and Curacao have made the World Cup with a smaller population than Cape Verde. Their flawless home record proved the backbone of their campaign: five matches, five wins, zero goals conceded. Fittingly, their ticket to the finals was punched in Praia, where a polished 3-0 victory over Eswatini in their final qualifier sealed the deal.
The Blue Sharks topped a demanding group, outpacing heavyweight nations such as Cameroon and Angola along the way.
Head coach Pedro Brito, better known as Bubista, has steered the side since 2020 after previously serving twice as assistant. His squad draws talent from far and wide, players based in 14 different countries from the UAE to Ireland. Shamrock Rovers centre-back Roberto Lopes is one of the standout stories: born in Dublin to a Cabo Verdean father, he never imagined his World Cup dream would be realised in the colours of the island nation.
Under Bubista’s guidance, Cape Verde have crafted a balanced, united squad and built a dressing-room culture defined by trust, chemistry, and a collective belief — the secret behind their remarkable rise.
- Current FIFA world ranking: 68
- Regional ranking: 13th (CAF)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 0
- How qualified: CAF Group D winners: 7W-1L-2D
- Coach: Pedro Leitao Brito (Cape Verde) since January 2020
- Key player(s): Nuno da Costa (Istanbul Basaksehir), Ricardo Santos (Swansea), Ryan Mendes (Igdir)
World Cup Group H odds and predictions
Here are the odds for each team in Group H to win and qualify from the group, with odds according to DraftKings in the United States.
These odds will be updated as available.
| Team | Group Winner | To Qualify | Win title |
| Spain | -500 | ||
| Ecuador | +250 | ||
| Ivory Coast | +800 | ||
| Curacao | +6500 |
WORLD CUP DRAW BREAKDOWNS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F
Group G | Group I | Group J | Group K | Group L
World Cup 2026 bracket for Group H
Group H’s victor will enter the knockout stage slated to joust against the runner-up from Group J. They will be one of four sides to duel with a runner-up. The other eight group winners will face off with a third-place qualifier.
Conversely, Group H’s runner-up will play the winner of Group J.
Group H’s third-place finisher also figures to be in the hunt for a spot in the knockout rounds. If they finish with more points and a higher goal difference than seven other third-place sides, they can finish with one of four foes:
- Winner of Group G
- Winner of Group A
- Winner of Group L
- Winner of Group I
We won’t know which third-place qualifiers will land in the knockout stages until the games are played. There are hundreds of mathematical combinations of third-place qualifiers.
Round of 32
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jun. 28 | M1: 2nd, Group A vs. 2nd, Group B | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M2: 1st, Group E vs. 3rd place finisher | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M3: 1st, Group F vs. 2nd, Group C | Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe, MEX) |
| Mon, Jun. 29 | M4: 1st, Group C vs. 2nd, Group F | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M5: 1st, Group I vs. 3rd place finisher | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M6: 2nd, Group E vs. 2nd, Group I | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Tue, Jun. 30 | M7: 1st, Group A vs. 3rd place finisher | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M8: 1st, Group L vs. 3rd place finisher | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M9: 1st, Group D vs. 3rd place finisher | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
| Wed, Jul. 1 | M10: 1st, Group G vs. 3rd place finisher | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M11: 2nd, Group K vs. 2nd, Group L | BMO Field (Toronto, CAN) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M12: 1st, Group H vs. 2nd, Group J | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Thu, Jul. 2 | M13: 1st, Group B vs. 3rd place finisher | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M14: 1st, Group J vs. 2nd, Group H | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Fri, Jul. 3 | M15: 1st, Group K vs. 3rd place finisher | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
| Fr, Jul. 3 | M16: 2nd, Group D vs. 2nd, Group G | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
Round of 16
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M1: Winner, R32 M2 vs. Winner, R32 M5 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, PA) |
| Sat, Jul. 4 | M2: Winner, R32 M1 vs. Winner, R32 M3 | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M3: Winner, R32 M4 vs. Winner, R32 M6 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
| Sun, Jul. 5 | M4: Winner, R32 M7 vs. Winner, R32 M8 | Estadio Azteca (Mexico City, MEX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M5: Winner, R32 M11 vs. Winner, R32 M12 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Mon, Jul. 6 | M6: Winner, R32 M9 vs. Winner, R32 M10 | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M7: Winner, R32 M14 vs. Winner, R32 M16 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Tue, Jul. 7 | M8: Winner, R32 M13 vs. Winner, R32 M15 | BC Place (Vancouver, CAN) |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Thu, Jul. 9 | QF1: Winner, R16 M1 vs. Winner, R16 M2 | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Fri, Jul. 10 | QF2: Winner, R16 M5 vs. Winner, R16 M6 | SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, CA) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF3: Winner, R16 M3 vs. Winner, R16 M4 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
| Sat, Jul. 11 | QF4: Winner, R16 M7 vs. Winner, R16 M8 | Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City, MO) |
Semifinals
| Date | Match | Location |
| Tue, Jul. 14 | SF1: Winner, QF1 vs. Winner, QF2 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX) |
| Wed, Jul. 15 | SF2: Winner, QF3 vs. Winner, QF4 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
Third place match
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sat, Jul. 18 | Loser, SF1 vs. Loser, SF2 | Hard Rock Stadium (Miami, FL) |
Final
| Date | Match | Location |
| Sun, Jul. 19 | Winner, SF1 vs. Winner, SF2 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, NJ) |
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