Uruguay wave goodbye to the World Cup after a 1-0 defeat to Spain, a result that allows La Roja to finish the group unbeaten and condemns La Celeste to elimination, paving the way for Cape Verde's historic qualification. The decisive moment came from yet another major mistake by Muslera, who let a tame, central effort from Alex Baena slip through his hands, gifting the Spaniards the winning goal.
Marcelo Bielsa's side tried to press their opponents early on, alternating high pressure with a more compact defensive shape, but they created few truly dangerous chances. Spain, despite once again failing to sparkle, controlled possession and managed the match in an orderly way, confirming their defensive solidity and preserving their unbeaten run in the tournament.
After the break, Bielsa even replaced Muslera with Rochet and added more attacking weight to the team, but Uruguay still failed to pose any real threat. If anything, the closing stages were dominated by nerves and frustration, culminating in Canobbio's red card. It brings a disappointing World Cup campaign to an end for La Celeste , marked by individual mistakes, attacking struggles and the heavily debated choices of the head coach, while Spain advance to the round of 32 full of confidence, where they will face Austria or Algeria.
Belgium also won, cruising past New Zealand 5-1 with no difficulty at all, and secured top spot in Group G thanks to a better goal difference than Egypt. The victory sends the Red Devils into the round of 32 against one of the best third-placed teams, while also avoiding a possible meeting with Argentina in the round of 16. The stars of the night were the leaders of the "golden generation," with De Bruyne and Lukaku decisive in driving the team on.
Rudi Garcia's side imposed their rhythm from the opening minutes, dominating possession and creating numerous chances. Trossard opened the scoring after also hitting the post and was the standout performer, then grabbed his second after the break. De Bruyne dictated play with his usual quality and scored the third, while New Zealand only threatened in flashes, pulling one back through Just.
Late on, Belgium put the result beyond doubt through Lukaku, who scored with a header shortly after coming on, and Saelemaekers, who netted the fifth. For the Belgians, it is a convincing qualification and a result that makes up for their group-stage elimination at the 2022 World Cup, reviving the ambitions of a team determined to prove the worth of its most talented generation.
The match between Egypt and Iran, played in Seattle, ended in a 1-1 draw that decided the fate of Group C. Thanks to a superior goal difference, Egypt claimed second place and qualification for the round of 32, where they will face Australia. Iran, meanwhile, will have to wait for the results from the other groups to see if they can go through as one of the best third-placed teams.
The game was full of drama and twists. Egypt took the lead through Saber after goalkeeper Beiranvand parried a shot from Salah, but Iran responded with character and found the equaliser thanks to Rezaeian. Taremi missed a penalty, while after the break the introduction of Marmoush added fresh energy to Egypt's attack following Salah's injury-forced exit.
In stoppage time, Iran came agonisingly close to a historic direct qualification: a goal from Khalilzadeh was ruled out by VAR for an offside of just a few centimetres and, moments later, Ezatolahi hit the crossbar. The final draw rewarded Egypt, while the Iranians left the pitch disappointed, knowing they had been only a step away from a historic result. Before the match there had been controversy over the game being played during Seattle Pride, but in the end it was football that took centre stage.
Cape Verde pulled off a miracle: thanks to their 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia, helped as well by Uruguay's defeat to Spain, the small nation celebrated progression to the next round. On their tournament debut, the side coached by Bubista finished the group unbeaten, with three draws enough to send them through and earn a prestigious clash with Lionel Messi's Argentina.
Again tonight against Saudi Arabia, the Cape Verde side delivered a convincing performance, creating several scoring chances but repeatedly being denied by an alert Al Owais. Among the heroes of qualification once again was goalkeeper Vozinha, the team leader and now something of a social media celebrity. The only regret was the chances missed late on, especially Da Costa's effort with the goal virtually open, but in the end it would not have changed much.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, end their campaign without a win, with two draws and just one goal scored. Head coach Donis' decision to use Kanno as the attacking focal point did not bring the desired results, and the Saudis struggled to create danger. For Cape Verde, though, the dream goes on: the match against Argentina will be a historic occasion for a national team that has already gone beyond all expectations.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
