The seventeenth day of the world championship in the USA, Canada, and Mexico became decisive for groups G, H, and I. After six matches, all participants of the knockout stage from these quartets were determined, with the main sensation being the historic advancement of the Cape Verde national team to the round of 16.
Group G: Belgium crushed New Zealand and advanced as first place
In the final match of Group G, the Belgium national team left no chance for New Zealand, defeating the opponent with a score of 5:1. Leandro Trossard scored a brace (28th and 50th minutes), also goals were scored by Kevin De Bruyne (66th minute), Romelu Lukaku (86th minute) and Alexis Salemackers (90+4th minute). The only goal for New Zealand was scored by Elaidja Jast.
In a parallel match, Egypt and Iran played a draw — 1:1. On the 5th minute Mahmoud Saber put Egypt ahead, however, 9 minutes later Ramin Rezaiyan equalized. Iran was closer to victory: Mehdi Taremi missed a penalty at the beginning of the match, and on the 90+6th minute, Halilzadeh's goal was disallowed due to offside after VAR intervention.
Final standings in Group G:
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Egypt — 5 points
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Belgium — 5 points
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Iran — 3 points
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New Zealand — 1 point
Belgium and Egypt advanced to the knockout stage. Iran still has a chance to reach the round of 16 as one of the best teams among the third-placed teams.
Group H: Historic success for Cape Verde
Group H delivered the main sensation of the day. The Cape Verde national team drew with Saudi Arabia 0:0 and, earning 3 points, took second place in the group. Cape Verde became the first team since Chile-1998 to advance from a group without winning a single match (all three matches — draws). Moreover, this is the smallest country in World Cup knockout stage history with a population of about 530 thousand people.>
In another match, Spain defeated Uruguay with a score of 1:0 thanks to a goal by Alex Baena from a pass by Marcos Llorente. Spain ended the group stage without conceding a single goal for the first time in their history, and goalkeeper Unai Simón set a record for «clean sheets» at the World Cup among Spanish goalkeepers.
The Uruguay national team, having earned only 2 points, leaves the tournament. Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, who made a mistake in the goal incident, was substituted at halftime, and after the match, he apologized to the Uruguayan people.
Final standings in Group H:
Spain — 7 points
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Cape Verde — 3 points
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Uruguay — 2 points
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Saudi Arabia — 2 points
Spain and Cape Verde advanced to the knockout stage.
Group I: France crushed Norway
The France national team confirmed its status as a favorite, crushing Norway with a score of 4:1 in the match for first place. Ousmane Dembélé scored a hat-trick, becoming the author of the fastest hat-trick at World Cup matches since 1954. Kylian Mbappé provided two assists. Erling Haaland started the match on the bench.
In parallel, Senegal crushed Iraq with a score of 5:0 and, earning 3 points, stormed into the list of best teams, taking third place.
Final standings in Group I:
- France — 7 points
- Norway — 3 points
- Senegal — 3 points
- Iraq — 1 point
France and Norway advanced to the knockout stage.
Knockout stage participants and 1/16 final matches
As of June 27, 22 teams secured their spots in the knockout stage. Among them: Germany, Paraguay, France, Sweden, South Africa, Canada, Netherlands, Morocco, Spain, USA, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Brazil, Japan, Ivory Coast, Norway, Mexico, Argentina, Cape Verde, Australia, Egypt, and Switzerland.
Already 10 matches of the 1/16 final are known, including:
- Germany — Paraguay
- France — Sweden
- Argentina — Cape Verde (match will take place on July 4)
- Netherlands — Morocco
- USA — Bosnia and Herzegovina
Key events of the day
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Cape Verde is making history, advancing to the knockout stage with three draws and setting a population record.
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Uruguay is eliminated after a defeat to Spain. Head coach Marcelo Bielsa admitted that the team deserved more, but errors and missed chances decided the fate.
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An Iranian goal was disallowed on the 90+6th minute of the match against Egypt. Iranians now have to rely on the third-place ranking.
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Romelu Lukaku set a Belgium record, becoming the top scorer in the country's World Cup history (6 goals).
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Spain did not concede in the group stage for the first time in their history.
The seventeenth day of the World Cup 2026 gave fans drama, sensational moments, and historic achievements. Ahead lies the final matches of the group stage, which will determine the last participants of the knockout stage.