2026 World Cup Group H preview, predictions with heavyweights Spain, Uruguay
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2026 World Cup Group H preview, predictions with heavyweights Spain, Uruguay
Victoria Hernandez, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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4 min read
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If you want to see a winner, you'll want to watch Group H of the2026 World Cup.
Spain, who is the favorite to win the tournament, is in Group H along with Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.
Teenage sensation Lamine Yamal will be making his World Cup debut. He already helped Spain win the European Championship in 2024 a day after his 17th birthday. Now, he, Pedri and Ballon d'Or winner Rodri will try to give Spain their second men's title.
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Cape Verde is playing in its first World Cup, led by a manager who helped build the national team from the ground up and will try to prove that they are competitive.
Saudi Arabia will be playing with some positive momentum afterupsetting Argentina in the 2022 World Cup.The Saudi Pro League has attracted the top talent in the world and now it's the Green Falcons' turn to make their own statement.
Uruguay rounds out the group writing a new chapter of a rich history. The South American side will now be led by Federico Valverde with the retirement of Luis Suárez, La Celeste's leading scorer. They will be hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2022 tournament.
The top two teams from each group automatically advance to the Round of 32 in the expanded field of 48 teams.
SPAIN: Lamine Yamal. Still just a teenager, few players are as exciting with the ball at their feet as the 18-year-old Barcelona winger. He already has 23 caps for Spain, bursting onto the scene as 16-year-old sensation.
(NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV, AFP via Getty Images)
ARGENTINA: Lionel Messi. This certainly is the last ride for the one of the greatest players to ever do it. He led La Albiceleste to World Cup glory in 2022 and is still defying Father Time at 38 years old (he'll turn 39 during the tournament).
(LUIS ROBAYO, AFP via Getty Images)
FRANCE: Desire Doue. Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise are the stars of France's attack, but don't forget the 20-year-old Doue, who is a key piece in Paris Saint-Germain's midfield. He's a tricky player who is constantly putting defenses under pressure.
(FRANCK FIFE, AFP via Getty Images)
ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka. The 24-year-old Arsenal winger is already a well-known commodity. He's appeared more than 200 times for Arsenal and has 14 England goals already. His left foot is a wand cutting in off the right and he consistently puts defenders on their heels.
(Justin Setterfield, Getty Images)
GERMANY: Jamal Musiala. The 22-year-old Bayern Munich attacker is coming off a serious ankle injury suffered at July's FIFA Club World Cup. He should be go good to go this summer and his trickery and dribbling give the Germans an added dimension in midfield.
(FABRICE COFFRINI, AFP via Getty Images)
BELGIUM: Jeremy Doku. This 23-year-old Manchester City winger is electric. He's among the best dribblers in the Premier League and is a nightmare when he's running at defenders with the ball at his feet.
(VIRGINIE LEFOUR, BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
PORTUGAL: Cristiano Ronaldo. At 40 years old, he's still not slowing down. Ronaldo has scored 109 goals since moving to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia four years ago and has transferred that form to Portugal, with eight goals in nine games for the national team in 2025.
(Charles McQuillan, Getty Images)
JAPAN: Takefusa Kubo. The 24-year-old Real Sociedad right winger (ESP) will consistently run at defenders, putting opponents on their heels. He led Japan in goals+assists in qualifying (11) and will be key to Samurai Blue's attack.
(Koji Watanabe, Getty Images)
NORWAY: Erling Haaland. An unstoppable force, the 25-year-old striker led Norway to its first World Cup since 1998. He's a scoring machine with 55 goals in 48 games for Norway and is fast approaching 150 career goals for Manchester City in just over 160 games played.
(ALBERTO PIZZOLI, AFP via Getty Images)
MOROCCO: Abde Ezzalzouli. A 23-year-old left winger who plays for Real Betis in Spain, gets goals and assists and isn't afraid to get stuck in. He scored in Morocco's 6-0 win over Egypt in the 2024 bronze medal game in the Paris Olympics.
(Robert Cianflone, Getty Images)
USA: Christian Pulisic. A lot falls on the shoulders of Captain America, and the 27-year-old winger has been building to this moment. He's played for some of Europe's biggest clubs (Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and now AC Milan) and has 32 goals in 82 caps for the US.
(FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP via Getty Images)
ENGLAND: Phil Foden. The 25-year-old midfielder was named 2024 English Premier League Player of the Year, scoring 19 goals in Manchester CIty's title-winning season. He dropped off a bit last season, but is still one of the most creative players in the EPL.
(Alex Pantling, Getty Images)
NETHERLANDS: Cody Gakpo. The 26-year-old Liverpool forward has already scored 19 goals for Holland in just 46 caps.Memphis Depay is still the focal point of the Dutch attack, but Gakpo provides plenty of skill and speed to open up defenses.
(JOHN THYS, AFP via Getty Images)
ARGENTINA: Nico Paz. Part of La Albiceleste's next generation, the 21-year-old midfielder is off to a flier this season for Como in Italy's Serie A. He'll likely head back to Real Madrid next season and is the future midfield maestro for Argentina.
(Rich Storry, Getty Images)
SPAIN: Nico Williams. With Lamine Yamal on one side and Williams on the other, Spain's wingers give defenses sleepless nights. The 23-year-old Athletic Bilbao winger has six goals in 30 Spain caps and is electric with the ball at his feet.
(NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV, AFP via Getty Images)
AUSTRALIA: Nestory Irankunda. Diminutive but dynamic, this 19-year-old forward has blistering pace, great dribbling ability and rocket for a shot. He had a brief spell with Bayern Munich's reserves, but now plays for Watford in The EFL Championship (England's second tier).
(Minas Panagiotakis, Getty Images)
CANADA: Tajon Buchanan. The 26-year-old winger has featured 57 times for Canada and is among its most dangerous attacking options. He's scored four times this season for Villareal in Spain.
(CHARLY TRIBALLEAU, AFP via Getty Images)
SWITZERLAND: Johan Manzambi. The 20-year-old midfielder who plays for Freiburg in Germany has eight caps for the Swiss team (all this year) and scored against the U.S. in a 4-0 win last June.
(FABRICE COFFRINI, AFP via Getty Images)
SENEGAL: Ismaila Sarr. The 27-year-old winger has scored four goals in seven matches for the national team in 2025 and is a key part to the overachieving Crystal Palace team in England.
(KENZO TRIBOUILLARD, AFP via Getty Images)
1/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SPAIN: Lamine Yamal. Still just a teenager, few players are as exciting with the ball at their feet as the 18-year-old Barcelona winger. He already has 23 caps for Spain, bursting onto the scene as 16-year-old sensation.
(NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV, AFP via Getty Images)
1/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SPAIN: Lamine Yamal. Still just a teenager, few players are as exciting with the ball at their feet as the 18-year-old Barcelona winger. He already has 23 caps for Spain, bursting onto the scene as 16-year-old sensation.
(NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV, AFP via Getty Images)
2/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ARGENTINA: Lionel Messi. This certainly is the last ride for the one of the greatest players to ever do it. He led La Albiceleste to World Cup glory in 2022 and is still defying Father Time at 38 years old (he'll turn 39 during the tournament).
(LUIS ROBAYO, AFP via Getty Images)
3/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
FRANCE: Desire Doue. Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise are the stars of France's attack, but don't forget the 20-year-old Doue, who is a key piece in Paris Saint-Germain's midfield. He's a tricky player who is constantly putting defenses under pressure.
(FRANCK FIFE, AFP via Getty Images)
4/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ENGLAND: Bukayo Saka. The 24-year-old Arsenal winger is already a well-known commodity. He's appeared more than 200 times for Arsenal and has 14 England goals already. His left foot is a wand cutting in off the right and he consistently puts defenders on their heels.
(Justin Setterfield, Getty Images)
5/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
GERMANY: Jamal Musiala. The 22-year-old Bayern Munich attacker is coming off a serious ankle injury suffered at July's FIFA Club World Cup. He should be go good to go this summer and his trickery and dribbling give the Germans an added dimension in midfield.
(FABRICE COFFRINI, AFP via Getty Images)
6/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
BELGIUM: Jeremy Doku. This 23-year-old Manchester City winger is electric. He's among the best dribblers in the Premier League and is a nightmare when he's running at defenders with the ball at his feet.
(VIRGINIE LEFOUR, BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
7/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
PORTUGAL: Cristiano Ronaldo. At 40 years old, he's still not slowing down. Ronaldo has scored 109 goals since moving to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia four years ago and has transferred that form to Portugal, with eight goals in nine games for the national team in 2025.
(Charles McQuillan, Getty Images)
8/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
JAPAN: Takefusa Kubo. The 24-year-old Real Sociedad right winger (ESP) will consistently run at defenders, putting opponents on their heels. He led Japan in goals+assists in qualifying (11) and will be key to Samurai Blue's attack.
(Koji Watanabe, Getty Images)
9/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
NORWAY: Erling Haaland. An unstoppable force, the 25-year-old striker led Norway to its first World Cup since 1998. He's a scoring machine with 55 goals in 48 games for Norway and is fast approaching 150 career goals for Manchester City in just over 160 games played.
(ALBERTO PIZZOLI, AFP via Getty Images)
10/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
MOROCCO: Abde Ezzalzouli. A 23-year-old left winger who plays for Real Betis in Spain, gets goals and assists and isn't afraid to get stuck in. He scored in Morocco's 6-0 win over Egypt in the 2024 bronze medal game in the Paris Olympics.
(Robert Cianflone, Getty Images)
11/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
USA: Christian Pulisic. A lot falls on the shoulders of Captain America, and the 27-year-old winger has been building to this moment. He's played for some of Europe's biggest clubs (Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and now AC Milan) and has 32 goals in 82 caps for the US.
(FREDERIC J. BROWN, AFP via Getty Images)
12/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ENGLAND: Phil Foden. The 25-year-old midfielder was named 2024 English Premier League Player of the Year, scoring 19 goals in Manchester CIty's title-winning season. He dropped off a bit last season, but is still one of the most creative players in the EPL.
(Alex Pantling, Getty Images)
13/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
NETHERLANDS: Cody Gakpo. The 26-year-old Liverpool forward has already scored 19 goals for Holland in just 46 caps.Memphis Depay is still the focal point of the Dutch attack, but Gakpo provides plenty of skill and speed to open up defenses.
(JOHN THYS, AFP via Getty Images)
14/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
ARGENTINA: Nico Paz. Part of La Albiceleste's next generation, the 21-year-old midfielder is off to a flier this season for Como in Italy's Serie A. He'll likely head back to Real Madrid next season and is the future midfield maestro for Argentina.
(Rich Storry, Getty Images)
15/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SPAIN: Nico Williams. With Lamine Yamal on one side and Williams on the other, Spain's wingers give defenses sleepless nights. The 23-year-old Athletic Bilbao winger has six goals in 30 Spain caps and is electric with the ball at his feet.
(NIKOLAY DOYCHINOV, AFP via Getty Images)
16/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
AUSTRALIA: Nestory Irankunda. Diminutive but dynamic, this 19-year-old forward has blistering pace, great dribbling ability and rocket for a shot. He had a brief spell with Bayern Munich's reserves, but now plays for Watford in The EFL Championship (England's second tier).
(Minas Panagiotakis, Getty Images)
17/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
CANADA: Tajon Buchanan. The 26-year-old winger has featured 57 times for Canada and is among its most dangerous attacking options. He's scored four times this season for Villareal in Spain.
(CHARLY TRIBALLEAU, AFP via Getty Images)
18/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SWITZERLAND: Johan Manzambi. The 20-year-old midfielder who plays for Freiburg in Germany has eight caps for the Swiss team (all this year) and scored against the U.S. in a 4-0 win last June.
(FABRICE COFFRINI, AFP via Getty Images)
19/19
2026 World Cup: 20 players who will get you out of your seat
SENEGAL: Ismaila Sarr. The 27-year-old winger has scored four goals in seven matches for the national team in 2025 and is a key part to the overachieving Crystal Palace team in England.
(KENZO TRIBOUILLARD, AFP via Getty Images)
Here is USA TODAY's Group H World Cup preview:
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World Cup Group H teams
Spain
Spain is the favorite to win the 2026 World Cup, 16 years after they won the 2010 tournament. They have something to prove after falling in the Round of 16 in the 2022 edition. The world awaits the World Cup debut of Lamine Yamal. The 18-year-old Barcelona star is recovering from a hamstring injury, buthopes are high that he'll be ready for the opening match.La Roja has plenty of firepower elsewhere. Yamal's Barcelona teammate, Pedri, will be playing in his second World Cup and 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri will be holding down the midfield.
Key players:Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Rodri
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Cape Verde
This is Cape Verde's first World Cup. The African nation is led by manager Pedro Leitao Brito aka Bubista, who was a player that helped put the Cape Verde national team on the map and also spent time on club teams in Spain and Portugal. The country is fairly young. It gained its independence in 1975 and established a national team three years later. The Blue Sharks were undefeated at home in their journey to qualify for the tournament. Ryan Mendes is the country's leading scorer with 22 goals in his national team career.
The 2026 World Cup is a full-circle moment for Saudi Arabia because they made their debut at the tournament in the United States back in 1994. Now, they return to the States to try to repeat their success of making it out of the group stage. The Green Falcons have become a consistent presence at the World Cup and have only missed the 2010 competition since their first appearance. They are led by manager Georgios Donis, who just joined the side in April, but has been coaching in the Saudi Pro League for several years. Salem Al Dawsari, who plays on Al Hilal with Karim Benzema, and three players from Al Ahli, who won back-to-back AFC Championships, will be powering the team on the pitch.Saudi Arabia shocked the worldin the 2022 World Cup when they beat Lionel Messi and Argentina in the group stage, putting La Albiceleste against the ropes, if only temporarily.
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Key players:Salem Al Dawsari, Saud Abdulhamid, Ali Majrashi, Ziyad Al Johani, Firas Al Buraikan
Uruguay
It's a new dawn for Uruguay. The South American side will now be led by Federico Valverde with the retirements of Edinson Cavani and Luis Suárez, La Celeste's leading scorer. Valverde was the captain for Real Madrid this year where he had eight assists and the club finished second in La Liga to rival Barcelona. Uruguay will be led by revered manager Marcelo Bielsa, who is coaching his third World Cup with his third different country. He will seek to uphold a legacy for Uruguay that includes two World Cup titles back in 1930 and 1950. Uruguay failed to advance out of the group stage in 2022, but have been consistent contenders, making every tournament since 2010.
Key players:Federico Valverde, Rodrigo Bentancur, José María Giménez, Fernando Muslera
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World Cup Group H schedule
June 15
Spain vs. Cape Verde - Atlanta, 12 p.m. ET - FOX
Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay - Miami, 6 p.m. ET - FS1
June 21
Spain vs. Saudi Arabia - Atlanta, 12 p.m. ET - FOX
Uruguay vs. Cape Verde - Miami, 6 p.m. ET - FS1
June 26
Uruguay vs. Spain - Guadalajara, 8 p.m. ET - FOX
Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia - Houston, 8 p.m. ET - FS1
