World Cup 2026 Results, 26 June — France, Spain and Belgium Seal Top Spot
Available in USFriday, 26 June completed the group stage in Groups G, H and I. France finished with a perfect record courtesy of an Ousmane Dembélé hat-trick, Spain edged Uruguay to win Group H, and Belgium pipped Egypt to top Group G on goal difference. Below is the full results reference for the day — every score, scorer and final table — recast for Irish readers in the systematic, table-led house style.
Contents
- 1. Results at a glance
- 2. Group I — France perfect, Dembélé’s hat-trick
- 3. Group H — Spain edge it, Cape Verde make history
- 4. Group G — Belgium top on goal difference
- 5. Final group tables (G, H, I)
- 6. Golden Boot race after 26 June
- 7. What it means for the Round of 32
- 8. How the title odds reacted
- 9. Frequently asked questions
- France won Group I with a perfect nine points after a 4-1 win over Norway, sealed by a first-half Ousmane Dembélé hat-trick (7′, 20′, 32′).
- Spain topped Group H with a 1-0 win over Uruguay (Álex Baena, 42′); Cape Verde became the smallest nation by population ever to reach a men’s World Cup knockout round.
- Belgium won Group G 5-1 over New Zealand to edge Egypt on goal difference, both finishing on five points.
- Iraq, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand were all eliminated; Senegal, Iran and Cape Verde stay alive in the best-third-placed race.
1. Results at a glance {#results-at-a-glance}
Six fixtures closed out Groups G, H and I. The headline outcomes: three group winners confirmed, four sides eliminated, and a record-breaker in Cape Verde. All scores below are corroborated by at least two of FIFA’s Match Centre, ESPN and the relevant Wikipedia group page, as of 27 June, 09:00 ET.
| Match | Group | Score | Decisive moment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norway vs France | I | 1-4 | Dembélé hat-trick inside 32 minutes |
| Senegal vs Iraq | I | 5-0 | Pape Gueye brace; Iraq down to ten on 13′ |
| Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia | H | 0-0 | Draw sends Cape Verde through |
| Uruguay vs Spain | H | 0-1 | Álex Baena, 42′ |
| Egypt vs Iran | G | 1-1 | Iran “winner” ruled out by VAR, 90+’ |
| New Zealand vs Belgium | G | 1-5 | Trossard brace; De Bruyne, Lukaku, Saelemaekers |
2. Group I — France perfect, Dembélé’s hat-trick {#group-i}
2.1 Norway 1-4 France {#norway-france}
At Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, France confirmed top spot with a perfect nine points. Ousmane Dembélé scored all three of his goals inside the first 32 minutes (7′, 20′, 32′) — among the fastest hat-tricks in World Cup history and a rare first-half treble — before Désiré Doué added a fourth in stoppage time (90+4′). Thelo Aasgaard’s 21st-minute strike was Norway’s only reply. France’s assistant Guy Stéphan led the side, with head coach Didier Deschamps having returned home following a family bereavement.
"I’m happy. It’s a unique and special moment for me." — Ousmane Dembélé (France), ESPN, 26 June 2026
2.2 Senegal 5-0 Iraq {#senegal-iraq}
At BMO Field, Toronto, Senegal kept their best-third hopes alive with a comprehensive win. Habib Diarra opened on 4′, Iraq’s Rebin Sulaka was sent off on 13′, and Pape Gueye struck twice (59′, 71′) around an Ismaïla Sarr goal (56′), with Iliman Ndiaye completing the scoring (82′). Senegal finished third in Group I on three points (+2), Iraq bottom with nothing from three games.
3. Group H — Spain edge it, Cape Verde make history {#group-h}
3.1 Uruguay 0-1 Spain {#uruguay-spain}
A laboured but sufficient performance at Estadio Akron, Guadalajara: Álex Baena’s 42nd-minute strike settled it and confirmed Spain as Group H winners on seven points. The narrow margin — rather than a statement win — fed into a title-odds drift for Spain over the following days (see section 8).
3.2 Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia {#cape-verde-saudi}
At NRG Stadium, Houston, a goalless draw was enough for tournament debutants Cape Verde to go through unbeaten — draws with Spain and Uruguay either side of this result. Cape Verde thereby became the smallest country by population ever to reach the knockout rounds of a men’s World Cup.
"We are proud of having arrived at this stage. We have shown that we are a small country, but that we fight for the things that we want to achieve." — Bubista (Cape Verde head coach), ESPN, 26 June 2026
4. Group G — Belgium top on goal difference {#group-g}
4.1 New Zealand 1-5 Belgium {#new-zealand-belgium}
At BC Place, Vancouver, Belgium produced the day’s biggest win to leapfrog Egypt for top spot. Leandro Trossard scored twice (28′, 50′), with Kevin De Bruyne (66′), Romelu Lukaku (86′) and Alexis Saelemaekers (90+4′) adding to the tally; Elijah Just netted New Zealand’s consolation (84′). Both Belgium and Egypt finished on five points, with Belgium’s +4 goal difference edging Egypt’s +2.
4.2 Egypt 1-1 Iran {#egypt-iran}
At Lumen Field, Seattle, honours were even: Mahmoud Saber put Egypt ahead (5′) before Ramin Rezaeian levelled (14′). Iran had a stoppage-time "winner" by Khalilzadeh ruled out for offside via VAR. Egypt finished second in Group G; Iran third on three points from three draws and now wait on the best-third-placed ranking.
5. Final group tables (G, H, I) {#final-tables}
All three groups are now complete. Tables as of 27 June, 09:00 ET (Wikipedia per-group pages, cross-checked vs NBC Sports / ESPN).
Group I
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | France | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | +8 | 9 |
| 2 | Norway | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 6 |
| 3 | Senegal | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | +2 | 3 |
| 4 | Iraq | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | −11 | 0 |
Group H
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spain | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | +5 | 7 |
| 2 | Cape Verde | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Uruguay | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | −1 | 2 |
| 4 | Saudi Arabia | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | −4 | 2 |
Group G
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | +4 | 5 |
| 2 | Egypt | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 5 |
| 3 | Iran | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | −6 | 1 |
Confirmed through from these groups: France (I1), Norway (I2), Spain (H1), Cape Verde (H2), Belgium (G1) and Egypt (G2). Eliminated: Iraq, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand. Senegal, Iran and Cape Verde feature in the best-third-placed contention that finalises once Groups J, K and L conclude.
6. Golden Boot race after 26 June {#golden-boot}
The official adidas Golden Boot leaderboard (as of 27 June) reads as follows. Dembélé’s hat-trick brought him level with three others on four goals, but Messi’s tally of five still leads the actual race — and the favourite still leads the market.
| Pos | Player | Country | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lionel Messi | Argentina | 5 | 0 |
| 2 | Kylian Mbappé | France | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | Ousmane Dembélé | France | 4 | 1 |
| 4 | Vinícius Júnior | Brazil | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | Erling Haaland | Norway | 4 | 0 |
For the standing Golden Boot betting market, see our top scorer & Golden Boot odds reference.
7. What it means for the Round of 32 {#round-of-32-impact}
With Groups G, H and I done, several Round of 32 ties are already locked in. Confirmed from the revealed bracket: France face Sweden (30 June) and Norway meet Ivory Coast (30 June); Spain, Belgium and Egypt take their places as the last group fixtures resolve. The full bracket clears once Groups J, K and L finish on 27 June. We track the complete picture on our World Cup 2026 Round of 32 bracket page.
8. How the title odds reacted {#odds-reaction}
The 26 June results sharpened the outright market. France’s perfect group run shortened them to a clear favourite, while Spain’s narrow win nudged them the other way. Prices below are fractional (decimal in brackets), via OddsPortal’s six-book aggregate, as of 27 June.
| Selection | Odds (fractional) | Decimal | 48h move |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 7/2 | 4.50 | Shortening (from 5.00) |
| Argentina | 11/2 | 6.50 | Shortening (from 7.50) |
| Spain | 6/1 | 7.00 | Drifting (from 6.50) |
| England | 7/1 | 8.00 | Flat |
| Portugal | 10/1 | 11.00 | Flat |
The full picture — including Argentina overtaking Spain for second favouritism — is covered in our World Cup 2026 winner odds: Argentina overtake Spain analysis.
9. Frequently asked questions {#faq}
Sources: FIFA Match Centre, ESPN and Wikipedia per-group pages (as of 27 June 2026, 09:00 ET); adidas Golden Boot leaderboard and OddsPortal winner outrights (27 June). Results and scorers corroborated by at least two sources. Odds for information only — 18+, gamble responsibly.
Related: World Cup 2026 Teams · World Cup 2026 Groups · World Cup 2026 Odds
