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The final day of the group stage for Groups G, H and I arrives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday, with six matches scheduled across three simultaneous kick-off slots. The marquee matchup is Norway vs. France at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, a collision between two undefeated group leaders featuring the tournament’s top scorers, Erling Haaland (four goals for Norway) and Kylian Mbappe (four goals for France). Later, Spain and Uruguay will meet at 8 p.m. ET in a Group H final in Guadalajara, while Belgium and New Zealand will face off at 11 p.m. ET as Group G concludes its final day in Vancouver. All six games are broadcast on FOX or FS1 and streamed live and on demand on FOX One.
World Cup program for Friday June 26
Norway vs France
Group I will be decided on Friday afternoon at Boston Stadium when Norway faces France. This is a highly anticipated match between two teams, each with a perfect six points in two games, and it will feature two of the sport’s greatest scorers, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.
Both teams have already booked their respective tickets to the round of 16, but this match will decide the group winner. Thanks to a superior goal differential, France will win the group even if the match ends in a draw.
Senegal versus Iraq
Senegal and Iraq head into this Group I match at Toronto Stadium with zero points after losing matches to powerhouses Norway and France. This game isn’t completely dead either. Although a draw would eliminate both teams, the winner still has a slight chance of moving into the top eight teams in third place. It remains to be seen whether three points will be enough, depending on the final tables and the goal differentials in the other groups.
Uruguay vs. Spain
It will be a clash between former World Cup champions on Friday when Spain and Uruguay clash at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico to conclude Group H action. Spain currently leads the group with four points while Uruguay has just two.
Led by Marcelo Bielsa, widely regarded as one of the most influential managers of his generation, Uruguay have disappointed at this World Cup after being held to draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. This left the team in a difficult situation, in which they will likely have to defeat Spain to advance.
At this stage it seems unlikely, as Uruguay have not won any of their last six matches and Spain are arguably the best team in the world, with an unbeaten run in competitive matches now standing at 33 matches (24 wins and nine draws) dating back to March 28, 2023.
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia
Everything will be on the line Friday in Houston when Cape Verde takes on Saudi Arabia in Houston, with the winner likely to advance out of Group H and into the round of 16. Cape Verde enters the match with two points (tied with Uruguay but trailing by just one on goals scored in the tiebreaker) from two draws, while Saudi Arabia has one point.
Cape Verde became the Cinderella darlings of the tournament after playing Spain 0-0, followed by a 2-2 draw against Uruguay. The archipelago nation just off the coast of mainland Africa has a population of just 525,000, but it came away with results against two tournament-winning nations. A win would send Cape Verde into the round of 16, but a draw to finish with three points could be enough if other results come their way.
New Zealand vs Belgium
For New Zealand and Belgium, exit from Group G and the round of 16 likely hinge on winning this match at Vancouver Stadium on Friday night.
Belgium enters this match in third place in the group with two points from two games. Rudi Garcia’s side were disappointing through two matches as the Red Devils arrived in the top 10 of the FIFA World Rankings with hopes of making a deep run into the knockout stages.
Two points isn’t the end of the world, but the team’s big concern has been its lack of offensive production. The only goal he scored was an own goal in a 1–1 draw against Egypt. Fortunately, there is still plenty of time to turn things around as Belgium are the favorites in this match and a victory would take the Red Devils to five points.
Egypt vs. Iran
This year, Iran is making its seventh appearance at the World Cup while Egypt is making its fourth appearance at the tournament. Despite this, neither country ever made it out of the group stage. That will change this World Cup when Iran and Egypt meet at Seattle Stadium on Friday night.
At least one of these teams will advance, although both teams have work to do to clinch.
Egypt lead Group G with four points after their 2-2 draw against New Zealand followed by their 3-1 victory against New Zealand. Four points will probably be enough to secure a place in the knockout stages, but a draw would guarantee it. The team is led by Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah, who is one of the best strikers of his generation. Salah, 34, has 68 goals in 118 appearances for Egypt, and he was the difference in the victory against New Zealand.
Iran will be the underdog in Seattle and enters the match with two points after a draw with Belgium and New Zealand. In the recent 0-0 draw against Belgium, Iran sat deep and got the point thanks to strong defense and a bit of luck. Against Egypt, Iran will likely take a similar approach, but at some point they may need to become more aggressive in their attack, as progression is likely only accompanied by victory.
Who is playing in the World Cup today?
- Norway
- France
- Senegal
- Iraq
- Uruguay
- Spain
- Cape Verde
- Saudi Arabia
- New Zealand
- Belgium
- Egypt
- Iran
World Cup results yesterday
How to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup
All World Cup matches are broadcast on FOX and FS1, and every match is streamed live and on demand on FOX One.
