యమల్ ఇన్ యాక్షన్; Mbappé, Haaland చివరిగా కలుసుకున్నారు: ప్రపంచ కప్ మ్యాచ్ డే 16 భారీగా ఉంది

Plenty of drama is likely to unfold on Friday at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Groups G, H and I will all play their final slate of games. The day opens with Group I, where two of the tournament’s best players, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé, will meet in a top matchup between Norway and France in Boston. Then, in Toronto, Senegal and Iraq both need to win and need help elsewhere to have a chance at the round of 32.

In Group H, Uruguay has disappointed at the World Cup and now must likely defeat pre-tournament favorites Spain to advance. In the group’s other game, Cape Verde will hope to continue its fairytale run into the knockouts with a win over Saudi Arabia.

Then in Group G, Belgium has thus far played poorly but could get back on track and into the round of 32 with a win over New Zealand. Finally, Egypt and Iran will both be looking for a win to secure a first-ever knockout appearance.

Norway vs. France

When: Friday, June 26, 3 p.m. ET

Where: Boston

TV: FOX

Stream: Watch three days free on FOX

Group I will be decided on Friday afternoon at Boston Stadium when Norway takes on France. It is an eagerly anticipated game between two teams, each with a perfect six points from two games, and it will feature two of the sport’s greatest goalscorers, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.

Both teams have already punched their respective tickets to the round of 32, but this game will decide the group winner. Due to a superior goal differential, France will win the group even if the match ends in a draw.

Haaland has not disappointed in his first-ever major tournament for Norway, finding the back of the net four times, with two goals in each of the first two games. That has brought him to a staggering 59 goals with 52 appearances for his country.

Mbappé also has four goals from two braces, and he remains in pursuit of Messi’s new goal-scoring record. The Real Madrid forward now has 16 career World Cup goals and is just two behind the Argentine great.

Both teams have also benefited from their other star players stepping up. For France, 2025 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé finally found his first World Cup goal in its recent 3-0 win over Iraq, while Michael Olise has been the team’s creative force with three assists in two World Cup matches to lead the tournament.

Norway has also continued to execute its game plan in the last two games as its central midfielders look to play the ball wide to wingers or fullbacks and then find Haaland. Norway was perfect in its World Cup qualifying campaign, and that run has carried into this tournament. But France will be its toughest test.

For France to stop Norway, it cannot stop Haaland. Its best hope is to stop central midfielders Martin Ødegaard and Sander Berge, along with the key wide players Antonio Nusa and Julian Ryerson. That will be easier said than done, as France has not kept a clean sheet in six matches.

This game should have plenty of goals.

Player to Watch

While most people will be watching Mbappé and Haaland, Olise has been arguably the tournament’s most complete player in the group stage. He is driving France’s attack, and he is also a threat to score himself. He is coming off a great season with Bayern Munich, where his passing range and quality were exceptional. He has now carried that into the World Cup.

Senegal vs. Iraq

When: Friday, June 26, 3 p.m. ET

Where: Toronto

TV: FS1

Stream: Watch three days free on FOX

Both Senegal and Iraq enter this Group I game at Toronto Stadium with zero points after losing games to powerhouses Norway and France. This game is not completely dead rubber either. While a draw would eliminate both teams, a winner still has a slight chance of advancing as one of the top eight third-place teams. It remains to be seen if three points will be enough, depending on the final tables and goal differentials in other groups.

Senegal will be the favorite in this game as the Lions of Teranga were very competitive in their losses to Norway and France. As one of the best African teams, Senegal simply ran into a brutal draw at this World Cup.

Ismaïla Sarr has been Senegal’s best player, and the Crystal Palace winger scored both goals in the 3-2 loss to Norway. Along with Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and all-time leading scorer and former Champions League winner Sadio Mané, Senegal has the talent to score plenty of goals against Iraq. The concern is the team’s leaky defense, which has allowed six goals at this tournament as well as another three against the United States in a pre-tournament friendly.

This game was always an uphill climb for Iraq, but it became even more challenging after captain and starting forward Aymen Hussein left the game against France in just the 26th minute due to an injury.

One key for Iraq in this game is to play smarter. In each of the first two games, Iraq conceded terrible goals with sloppy passing in its own third after goal kicks. At the time of each of these mistakes, Iraq was still in the game. Iraq cannot continue to be its own worst enemy if it wants to win and have a slight chance of advancing.

Player to Watch

The Crystal Palace winger has been the best player for Senegal, and the offense has been flowing through him. That should continue to be the case in this game. The challenge for Sarr is not just to help Senegal score enough goals to win this game, Senegal potentially needs a wide margin of victory to improve its goal differential.

Uruguay vs. Spain

When: Friday, June 26, 8 p.m. ET

Where: Guadalajara

TV: FOX

Stream: Watch three days free on FOX

It will be a matchup of former World Cup champions on Friday when Spain and Uruguay clash at Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico to conclude Group H action. Spain currently sits atop the group with four points while Uruguay has just two points.

Led by Marcelo Bielsa, who is widely considered one of the most influential managers of his generation, Uruguay has disappointed at this World Cup after being held to draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. That has left the team in a difficult spot, in which it likely needs to defeat Spain to advance.

At this point, that seems unlikely, as Uruguay hasn’t won any of its last six games, and Spain is arguably the best team in the world, with its unbeaten run in competitive matches now up to 33 games (24 wins and nine draws) dating back to March 28, 2023.

Uruguay sits in second place, but a draw would leave La Celeste vulnerable to being overtaken by either Saudi Arabia or Cape Verde, who will be playing at the same time. Three points and an even goal differential might also be enough to get through, but that depends on other groups.

Uruguay is led by winger Maxi Araújo, who has carried the team’s attack at the World Cup with two goals. Federico Valverde has also played well in the midfield. The problems for the team have been its mistake-prone defense and the ongoing slump of striker Darwin Núñez, who led the team in scoring during World Cup qualifying but hasn’t scored for Uruguay in 14 games. That slump has forced Bielsa to bench Núñez and scramble to find other options.

Spain, meanwhile, is deep at every position with world-class players and is a genuine threat to win the tournament. After shockingly being held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde, Luis de la Fuente’s squad quickly returned to form with a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia as the usual suspects Mikel Oyarzabal and Lamine Yamal led the way.

For plenty of reasons, Spain is favored to win this. With a midfield led by Rodri, Spain should have plenty of possession, and Uruguay could become frustrated. The biggest concern for Spain is that a desperate, Bielsa-led team is always dangerous.

Player to Watch

As likely the best teenager in the game and a Ballon d’Or runner-up, Yamal is special with what he can do offensively on the wing. He is not yet at 100 percent, and he likely won’t go the full 90 minutes, but he is getting more fit and healthy with each passing game. That is good news for Spain and bad news for everyone else. If Uruguay is to pull off an upset, it starts with containing him.

Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia

When: Friday, June 26, 8 p.m. ET

Where: Houston

TV: FS1

Stream: Watch three days free on FOX

Everything will be on the line on Friday in Houston when Cape Verde takes on Saudi Arabia in Houston, with the winner likely advancing out of Group H and into the round of 32. Cape Verde enters the game with two points (even with Uruguay but behind by only one on the goals scored tiebreaker) from two draws, while Saudi Arabia has one point.

Cape Verde has become the Cinderella darlings of the tournament after playing Spain to a 0-0 draw, followed by a 2-2 draw with Uruguay. The archipelago nation just off the coast of continental Africa has a population of just 525,000, but came away with results against two nations that have won the tournament. A win would send Cape Verde into the knockouts, but a draw to finish with three points might suffice if other results break its way.

The Blue Sharks have earned praise for their courageous defense and their remarkable organization on defense under head coach Pedro Leitão Brito, who is commonly known as Bubista. Against Uruguay, Cape Verde was then able to combine its defense with timely goals in the attack to eventually play to a draw.

Against Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde will have to maintain its defensive structure while looking for goals through counterattacks and set pieces. Kevin Pina’s free kick against Uruguay was one of the longest goals hit at the tournament, so far, and the team’s counterattacks are typically played through Gilson Benchimol and Garry Rodrigues.

The only time Saudi Arabia has qualified for the knockout stage of the World Cup was when the tournament was also in the United States in 1994. Now, 28 years later on the same soil, the Green Falcons will look to return to the second stage with a win over Cape Verde. Under head coach Georgios Donis, Saudi Arabia will need its front line to be more dangerous. Through two games, the team’s only goal came through central defender Abdulelah Al Amri. Winger and captain Salem Al-Dawsari, along with striker Feras Al-Buraikan, who led the Saudis in scoring during World Cup qualifying, will need to be more dangerous.

This game is an even matchup and is tough to predict, but Cape Verde is likely to have plenty of support in Houston as the team has been one of the most uplifting stories at the World Cup.

Player to Watch

The 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper has been the face of the team’s remarkable draws against Spain and Uruguay. We have seen stories about his mother finding her way to the United States to watch her son, and the wild growth of his social media following (specifically 14.5 million new Instagram followers after the draw with Spain) has also grabbed the attention of the media. 

Behind that, Vozinha has made plenty of incredible saves to give his team a chance at the knockouts. He is in great form, and he will have to make even more big saves against Saudi Arabia to give his team a chance to continue its run.

New Zealand vs. Belgium

When: Friday, June 26, 11 p.m. ET

Where: Houston

TV: FS1

Stream: Watch three days free on FOX

For both New Zealand and Belgium, advancing out of Group G and into the round of 32 likely depends on winning this game at Vancouver Stadium on Friday night.

Belgium enters this game in third place in the group with two points from two games. Rudi Garcia’s team has been disappointing through two games as the Red Devils arrived as a top-10 team in the FIFA World Rankings with hopes of making a deep run in the knockouts.

Two points is not the end of the world, but the big concern for the team has been its lack of offensive production. The only goal it has scored was an own goal in a 1-1 draw with Egypt. Fortunately, there is plenty of time to turn things around as Belgium is the favorite in this game and a win would lift the Red Devils to five points.

Belgium has not lost in 15 games, and will be strong up the middle with Kevin De Bruyne, and captain Youri Tielemans playing behind all-time top scorer Romelu Lukaku. The expectations are that, while this group has underperformed in the first two games, it’s so talented that eventually it will find its way.

As for New Zealand, the Kiwis are the lowest-ranked team at this World Cup and are coming off a difficult 3-1 loss to Egypt. New Zealand now must defeat Belgium to have a chance of advancing to the knockout stage. New Zealand relies heavily on veteran players, including its all-time leading scorer in Chris Wood, fullback Tim Payne and central defender Michael Boxall.

Despite being unconvincing in the first two games, Belgium is the obvious favorite against New Zealand, given the gap in talent. New Zealand fights hard but will have a tough time containing players like De Bruyne for 90 minutes.

Player to Watch

It has been a wild week for Belgium’s winger. Doku left the team’s World Cup camp midweek to attend the birth of his son in London, and the decision was met with some criticism. On Tuesday, he announced that he had rejoined the Belgian team. The Manchester City star missed Belgium’s 0-0 draw with Iran due to an illness, but he should be healthy for this game. When he is on his game, he is one of the best dribblers in the world. Now with an emotional week behind him, Doku might be eager to make a big impact in this game to get his country into the round of 32.

Egypt vs. Iran

When: Friday, June 26, 11 p.m. ET

Where: Seattle

TV: FS1

Stream: Watch three days free on FOX

This year, Iran is making its seventh World Cup appearance while Egypt is making its fourth appearance at the tournament. Despite this, neither country has ever advanced out of the group stage. That will change at 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 sits atop Group G with four points after its 2-2 draw with New Zealand followed by its 3-1 win over New Zealand. Four points will likely be enough to secure a spot in the knockouts, but a draw would clinch it. The team is led by Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, who is one of the best forwards of his generation. Salah, 34, has 68 goals in 118 appearances for Egypt, and he was the difference-maker in the win over New Zealand.

Iran will be the underdog in Seattle and enters the game on two points from a draw with Belgium and New Zealand. In the recent 0-0 draw with Belgium, Iran sat deep and secured the point thanks to solid defense and a bit of luck. Against Egypt, Iran is likely going to play with a similar approach, but at some point, it might have to become more aggressive with its attack, as advancing likely only comes with a win.

Iran relies heavily on veteran players, and against Belgium, head coach Amir Ghalenoei fielded the oldest starting lineup in World Cup history with an average age of 32.5 years. That lineup served Iran well against Belgium, but if Ghalenoei goes with the same squad against Egypt, there is a risk that such an old lineup might wear down against Egypt.

Player to Watch

The most talented and accomplished player on the field, by far, is Salah, who could be playing in his final World Cup. At the club level, Salah has accomplished just about everything possible. He has won the Premier League, the Champions League, and the FA Cup. He has won the Premier League Golden Boot and the Player of the Season. But Salah is now heavily motivated to finally play in the knockout stages of the World Cup, and this game could get the Pharaohs to that point for the first time in their history.