The 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than two weeks away, and the 12 groups are set ahead of the newly expanded 48-team tournament.
The 2026 edition of the FIFA World Cup, hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, marks the first time the historic tournament has expanded from 32 to 48 teams. It will also feature a new Round of 32 knockout stage, resulting in a colossal 104 matches across 39 days.
Group H includes Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. Let’s take a look at the Group H teams and see how each team is shaping up heading into the tournament.
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay
Spain:
Spain, coming off a huge victory at Euro 2024, may be entering this summer with more confidence and belief than any other team that they can return to their World Cup-winning days of 2010. Spain is currently the second-ranked team in the FIFA rankings and has a perfect blend of talent and depth across all positions. After dominating the competition in World Cup qualifying, this Spain squad hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down and is hoping to recreate the era of Spanish soccer that dominated the world stage from 2008 to 2012.
Luis de la Fuente has been Spain’s manager since 2022, taking over from Luis Enrique. After coaching the country’s youth squads before becoming head coach of the national team, he has been a crucial part of the development of numerous young Spanish players. He runs a hybrid style of play that can break opposing teams down with high-quality passing but also utilizes players who can be nightmare matchups in one-on-one situations.
Among those talented players are Nico Williams and 18-year-old Lamine Yamal. Yamal took the soccer world by storm at Euro 2024 and has become one of the most integral parts of FC Barcelona’s squad in recent years. Spain also has a world-class midfield led by captain Rodri alongside Pedri, Gavi and Fabián Ruiz. Spain opens its World Cup campaign against Cape Verde at Atlanta Stadium.
Cape Verde:
Cape Verde, a country with a population of a little over 500,000 people, will be making its World Cup debut this summer. Cape Verde defied the odds during qualifying, finishing at the top of its CAF qualifying group and posting a 7W-1L-2D record in its 10 matches.
Although the Cape Verde squad has some experienced players, keep an eye on forward Ryan Mendes, Cape Verde’s captain and all-time leading goalscorer, who also has experience playing club soccer in England and France. He will be tasked with leading the underdogs against Spain in their opening match and throughout the rest of Group H.
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia is back in the World Cup for the third straight edition and will be chasing a place in the knockout stage for the first time since 1994. Although Saudi Arabia did not advance from the group stage in 2022, they pulled off one of the most incredible results of the tournament, defeating Argentina in their opening match. They were also the only team to defeat the eventual World Cup champions during the tournament.
They had an uneven path through qualifying, only booking their ticket during the AFC fourth round. Their qualifying record of 8W-4L-6D does not exactly inspire optimism entering the summer, but the memory of their win against Argentina in 2022 should be enough to remind them that anything is possible. Salem Al-Dawsari, who has been in great form recently for Al-Hilal and has scored goals in each of the last two World Cups, will lead the attack again in 2026.
Uruguay:
Uruguay is stepping into a new era on the international stage this summer without stars Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani leading the squad. Uruguay had a shaky qualifying campaign, starting on a strong note before nearly imploding and dropping points in nine of their final 12 matches. They finished with a record of 7W-4L-7D and placed fourth in the CONMEBOL standings.
Despite not making it past the group stage in 2022, there is reason for more optimism this year as Uruguay’s attack is led by Liverpool’s Darwin Núñez and Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, who is an absolute workhorse in midfield with a powerful shot capable of scoring from nearly anywhere.
Their back line is anchored by José María Giménez and Ronald Araújo. Giménez has been a longtime staple of Uruguay’s defense, having represented his country for more than a decade and played in the last three editions of the World Cup. Uruguay will open their tournament against Saudi Arabia in Miami.
Go to our
Soccer
page for more articles and updates like South Korea’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Roster!
You can
like
The Game Haus on Facebook and
follow
us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!