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Cape Verde secured a place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament for the first time on Friday after holding Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw, setting up a last-32 clash with defending champions Argentina.
The result saw the tournament debutants finish second in Group H with three points, behind Spain, who claimed top spot with a 1-0 victory over Uruguay.
Cape Verde’s qualification followed three consecutive draws, including a surprise 2-2 result against two-time world champions Uruguay, whose campaign ended in disappointment after they finished with just two points and failed to progress.
The Group H outcome also confirmed places in the knockout rounds for England, Portugal, Ghana, Egypt and Paraguay.
Elsewhere, France maintained their perfect start to the tournament with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Norway, finishing top of Group I.
Ousmane Dembele starred for the European giants, scoring a first-half hat-trick inside 32 minutes at Gillette Stadium. Desire Doue added a fourth in stoppage time to complete the victory.
The match had been billed as a showdown between France captain Kylian Mbappe and Norway striker Erling Haaland, but the anticipated contest failed to materialise after Haaland was left on the bench.
Reflecting on his performance, Dembele downplayed the significance of his hat-trick, insisting France’s focus remained on the knockout rounds.
“It’s a unique and important moment for me but I preferred my performances against Senegal or Iraq,” Dembele said.
“I think I was much more influential in those games. I believe we need to stay focused because there are important things ahead.”
France played the match under difficult circumstances following the departure of head coach Didier Deschamps earlier this week after the death of his mother.
Players from both teams also observed a minute’s silence before kick-off in honour of victims of the devastating earthquake in Venezuela.
France will now meet Sweden in the last 32, while Norway face Ivory Coast in Dallas on June 30 for a place in the last 16.
Senegal kept their hopes of advancing alive with a commanding 5-0 victory over Iraq in their final Group I fixture, earning their first three points of the tournament.
The West Africans must now wait for results in other groups to determine whether their goal difference is enough to secure one of the remaining knockout places.
“Our future is no longer in our own hands,” Senegal coach Pape Thiaw said. “We will have to wait and see. But we got the job done.”
Attention later shifted to Group G, where Egypt sought victory over Iran in Seattle to secure first place in the group.
The fixture attracted attention after it was designated as Seattle’s “Pride Match” as part of the city’s Pride celebrations, before the participating teams were known.
Officials from both Iran and Egypt raised objections to the Pride-related activities surrounding the match. Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can be punishable by death, while in Egypt it is often prosecuted under broadly worded laws relating to “debauchery.”
In the group’s other fixture, Belgium’s experienced squad, led by Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, faced New Zealand in a bid to reach the knockout stage.
