Six 2026 World Cup fixtures to decide Groups G, H and I
The June 26 matchday of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will mark the completion of the group stage in Groups G, H and I with six fixtures: Norway vs. France, Senegal vs. Iraq, Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, Uruguay vs. Spain, New Zealand vs. Belgium and Egypt vs. Iran.
In Group I, France and Norway have already collected six points each and will determine the group winner in their head-to-head meeting. In Group H, the situation remains the most open: Spain leads the standings, but Uruguay, Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia still have a chance of advancing. In Group G, Egypt tops the group, while Belgium and Iran head into the final round level on points.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Group I, Round 3, June 26, Foxborough, Gillette Stadium
Norway vs. France W1 D3 L1
Coaches: Ståle Solbakken / Didier Deschamps
Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
Norway and France head into the final group-stage round unbeaten. Both teams won their opening matches, but France tops the group on goal difference. A draw will be enough for Didier Deschamps’s side to retain top spot in Group I. Norway, meanwhile, needs a victory to finish first in the group.
However, the main attraction of the match is clear — Erling Haaland vs. Kylian Mbappé. Both players have made strong starts to the tournament and are already competing not only for top spot in the group but also for the status of the tournament’s star.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Group I, Round 3, June 26, Toronto, BMO Field
Senegal vs. Iraq (first meeting)
Coaches: Pape Thiaw / Graham Arnold (Australia)
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
Senegal and Iraq head into the final group stage round without a point, meaning the best they can hope for is a third-place finish.
Iraq finds itself in an even more difficult position after 1-4 and 0-3 defeats. The team needs not just a victory but preferably one by a wide margin to improve its goal difference.
The chances of advancing to the knockout stage with three points will depend on the results in the other groups, but the match remains important for both teams.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Group H, Round 3, June 26, Houston, NRG Stadium
Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia (first meeting)
Coaches: Pedro Leitão Brito / Georgios Donis (Greece)
Referee: François Letexier (France)
Cape Verde remains one of the most intriguing teams in Group H. The national team first took points off Spain before drawing with Uruguay. After two rounds, it has two points and a realistic chance of advancing to the knockout stage.
Saudi Arabia opened with a draw against Uruguay but then suffered a 0-4 defeat to Spain. Now, Georgios Donis’s side needs nothing less than a victory, as a draw would leave the team out of contention for a spot in the knockout stage.
In turn, a victory for Cape Verde could be historic, as it would almost certainly secure the team a place in the knockout stage and put the parallel Uruguay-Spain match under pressure. Saudi Arabia will have to take risks, but an overly open approach against Cape Verde could quickly become problematic.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Group H, Round 3, June 26, Guadalajara, Estadio Akron
Uruguay vs. Spain W0 D1 L4
Coaches: Marcelo Bielsa (Argentina) / Luis de la Fuente
Referee: Ismail Elfath (the U.S.)
Spain heads into the final group-stage round at the top of Group H. After an unexpected goalless draw with Cape Verde, Luis de la Fuente’s side hammered Saudi Arabia 4-0 and significantly improved its goal difference.
Uruguay remains unbeaten but is still without a win. The team now needs a victory to secure direct qualification for the knockout stage and avoid depending on the parallel match.
A draw would be enough for Spain, but playing solely to protect the result would be risky. Uruguay is capable of turning matches into tight affairs, and in the final round even a single goal could completely change the group standings.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Group G, Round 3, June 26, Vancouver, BC Place Stadium
New Zealand vs. Belgium (first meeting)
Coaches: Darren Bazeley (England) / Rudi Garcia (France)
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
Belgium heads into the final round in an unfamiliar position. After two draws, Rudi Garcia’s side has two points and can no longer afford to play cautiously. A victory over New Zealand would secure Belgium a spot in the knockout stage.
New Zealand opened the tournament with a draw against Iran before losing to Egypt. The team has just one point, meaning it also needs a victory. With a favorable result in the parallel match, New Zealand could still climb the standings.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Group G, Round 3, June 26, Seattle, Lumen Field
Egypt vs. Iran (first meeting)
Coaches: Hossam Hassan / Amir Ghalenoei
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
Egypt heads into the final round as the Group G leader. Following a draw with Belgium, Hossam Hassan’s side defeated New Zealand and is now in the most favorable position ahead of the decisive match.
After two rounds, Iran has two points. The team drew 2-2 with New Zealand before holding Belgium to a goalless draw. However, it needs a victory over Egypt to secure direct qualification for the knockout stage.
A draw would be a good result for Egypt, as it would guarantee a finish above Iran and almost certainly secure a place in the top two. However, Iran will have to strike a balance between attack and caution, as defeat could leave the team below Belgium or New Zealand, depending on the outcome of the parallel match.
On the previous matchday, the group stage concluded in Groups D, E and F. The U.S. clinched top spot in Group D in advance, while Austria secured a place in the round of 32 as the runner-up.
In Group E, Germany, having already secured top spot, lost to Ecuador. Ecuador advanced to the knockout stage in third place, while Côte d’Ivoire finished second after defeating Curacao.
In Group F, the Netherlands topped the group with a victory over Tunisia. Japan and Sweden drew to finish second and third, respectively, with both teams advancing to the round of 32.
