What happened at the World Cup on June 26, 2026?
Cape Verde, a tiny island nation of half a million people, qualified for the World Cup knockout rounds on their debut — and now face Lionel Messi's Argentina. Ousmane Dembélé scored a first-half hat-trick as France thrashed Norway 4-1 to win all three group games, Belgium erupted with a 5-1 win over New Zealand, and Spain edged Uruguay 1-0 to take their group.
- 1Cape Verde drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia to reach the Round of 32 on their World Cup debut, setting up a meeting with Argentina.[1]
- 2Ousmane Dembélé scored a first-half hat-trick as France beat Norway 4-1 and won all three group games.[2]
- 3Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 (Trossard twice, De Bruyne, Lukaku, Saelemaekers) to top Group G.[3]
- 4Spain beat two-time champions Uruguay 1-0 on Álex Baena's goal to win Group H with a perfect record.[4]
- 5Senegal thrashed Iraq 5-0, while Egypt and Iran drew 1-1 in a game settled by a late VAR decision.[5]
1. Cape Verde make history — and earn a date with Messi
The fairytale is real. Cape Verde — ranked 67th in the world, an island nation of around half a million people playing in their first-ever World Cup — drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia to finish second in Group H, unbeaten across all three games. They've reached the Round of 32, where they'll face reigning champions Argentina and Lionel Messi in Miami on July 3. For a casual fan: this is the ultimate underdog story, and it just bought a ticket to meet the greatest player alive.
2. Dembélé's first-half hat-trick destroys Norway
France made a statement. Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, scored three goals in the first 32 minutes — the second-fastest hat-trick in World Cup history — as France hammered Norway 4-1. Désiré Doué added a fourth late on. France won all three of their group games for the first time since they lifted the trophy on home soil in 1998. Notably, Norway rested Erling Haaland and nine other regulars, having already secured their spot.
3. Belgium finally explode
After two frustrating draws, Belgium's stars came alive. The "Red Devils" beat New Zealand 5-1, with Leandro Trossard scoring twice and Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers all on the scoresheet. The result lifted Belgium above Egypt to top Group G. For a non-fan: this is one of the tournament's most talented teams reminding everyone what it can do when it clicks.
4. Spain make it three from three
Spain quietly confirmed their status as one of the favorites, beating two-time champions Uruguay 1-0 through Álex Baena's 42nd-minute goal to win Group H with a perfect record. Uruguay, despite the loss, still had enough to advance. Spain have looked sharp all tournament — and with Lamine Yamal and a deep squad, they're a team nobody wants to face in the knockouts.
5. A stat worth sharing
Senegal signed off the group stage in style, thrashing Iraq 5-0 to roar into the Round of 32. Elsewhere, Egypt and Iran drew 1-1 in a game settled by a late VAR decision that overturned an Iran winner — drama to the very end. But the number everyone's talking about is Cape Verde's: a country that had never been to a World Cup before is now 90 minutes from the quarterfinals.
What to Watch Today
The last group games finish and the Round of 32 takes shape. Key kickoffs run roughly 12:00 PM / 3:00 PM / 6:00 PM ET — about 1:00 AM / 4:00 AM / 7:00 AM JST and KST the next morning. Check worldcupexplain.com for the full schedule in your time zone.
Key Takeaways
- Cape Verde reached the knockouts on debut and will face Messi's Argentina.
- Dembélé's first-half hat-trick powered France to a perfect group stage.
- Belgium and Spain both signed off the group stage in style.
- Cape Verde qualify for World Cup Round of 32, set up date with Argentina — Al Jazeera(accessed 2026-06-27)
- Norway 1-4 France: Ousmane Dembélé nets first-half hat trick — ESPN(accessed 2026-06-27)
- New Zealand 1-5 Belgium Stats: Trossard and De Bruyne seal top spot in Group G — Opta Analyst(accessed 2026-06-27)
- Uruguay 0-1 Spain — Result, Stats & Highlights — FIFA(accessed 2026-06-27)
- World Cup scores: Late VAR overturns Iran winner; Belgium top Group G — Yahoo Sports(accessed 2026-06-27)