FIFA World Cup 2026 MD16 recap: Cape Verde seal shock progress; France, Spain top group; Senegal win big (but must wait)
Matchday 15 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup saw three groups close out their group stage match. Here’s where it stands for Group I, H, and G:
Group I – France top group, Norway second, Senegal third (progress TBC), Iraq eliminated.
Group H – Spain top group, Cape Verde second, Urugay third (eliminated), Saudi Arabia eliminated.
Group G – All spots TBC between New Zealand, Iran, Belgium and Egypt.
Iran vs Egypt – FOLLOW LIVE here
Belgium vs New Zealand.
Uruguay 0 – 1 Spain
(Baena 42′)
A Fernando Muslera errors saw Uruguay concede a first half goal to Alex Baena, and that meant Spain topped the group while Uruguay were eliminated with just two points across their three World Cup games.
Marcelo Bielsa’s men, seeking a win to progress, were as scratchy as they have been all tournament and barely troubled Unai Simon’s goal. Spain, meanwhile, were comfortable throughout (until a late, panicked flurry from the Uruguay attack), and scored after Baena got on the end of Marcos Llorente’s low, drilled cross and hit it straight at goal, where it squirmed under Muslera.
Cape Verde 0 – 0 Saudi Arabia
A third straight draw for debutants Cape Verde saw them seal a shock entry into the World Cup. It was a game in which Cape Verde had the better of the play, and the chances, despite it being Saudi Arabia who needed a win to advance. They created 1.52xG to Saudi’s 0.27 and it took some heroics from Mohammed Al Owais to keep Cape Verde from celebrating their progress with a first ever World Cup win.
Senegal 5 – 0 Iraq
(Diarra 4′, I.Sarr 56′, P.Gueye 59′, 71′, I.Ndiaye 82′)
Senegal dismantled 10-man Iraq 5-0 as they gave themselves a chance to qualify as one of the 8 best third-placed finishers. Sitting on three points and a goal difference of +2, they now have to wait till the end of the group stages tomorrow.
Senegal opened the scoring early when a thundering Abdoulaye Seck header deflected off Habib Diarra and then soon it became worse for Iraq when Rebin Sulaka was sent off (after a VAR review) for blatantly pulling back Sadio Mane as the Senegal skipper looked to bear down on goal. Iraq held out for the first half, but Senegal turned on the style in the second. Ismaila Sarr poked home a clever finish after Henri Camara robbed Zidane Iqbal on the edge of the box, to make it 2-0. Substitute Pape Gueye then came on and absolutely smashed two hits past a hapless Iraqi defence and keeper to make it 4-0 before Illiman Ndiaye ran onto to a P.Gueye through ball and hit one into the roof to add a fifth late on.
Norway 1 – 4 France
(Aasgaard 21′; Dembele 7′,20′,32′, Doue 90+4′))
Ousmane Dembele celebrates after scoring a goal against Norway at the FIFA World Cup. Getty Images
Ousmane Dembele became the first man to score a hattrick in the first of a World Cup game since 1994 as he and France dismantled a second-string Norway side to finish with a perfect 100% record in the group stages. They topped the group, while Norway finished second.
Norway will face Ivory Coast while France need to wait to see which of the best third placed teams they will meet.
Dembele showed his class early by getting on the end of a Kylian Mbappe pass, racing into the box and slamming a right-footed hit past the goalkeeper from close range. He then made it two with another superb effort, seizing on another Mbappe pass, cutting in and curling home from range. Norway stunned France right from kickoff after that goal as Thelo Aasgaard shimmied away from his marker and hit fizzing low shot. Dembele, though, repeated his trick again and cut in to make it France 3-1.
In the second half, Theo Hernandez brought down Oscar Bobb in the box, but a poor Jorgen Strand Larsen penalty kick was saved by Mike Maignan and that was that for the comeback. Desire Doue headed France a fourth to put the final flourish on a commanding performance.
