The race for the World Cup knockout stage intensifies on Friday as the final Group G, H and I matches are played, with qualification, first place and several Round of 32 spots still up for grabs.
France and Norway battle for top spot in Group I, Spain look to secure first place in Group H, while Egypt, Iran, Belgium, Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia are all fighting to extend their tournaments.
Away from the action on the pitch, Mexico have completed a perfect group stage, Dutch fans have turned Kansas City into a sea of orange, African teams are chasing a historic knockout showing, and heartwarming fan moments continue to capture the spirit of the tournament.
Here are the latest fixtures, predictions, standings and talking points from the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Norway and France meet for the first time since France’s 4-0 friendly victory in 2014, in what will be the 16th meeting between the two nations.
Norway have won just two of their previous competitive meetings with France, with their last victory coming in a European Championship qualifier in 1987. They are also still searching for their first-ever World Cup win over European opposition, having drawn two and lost three of their previous five such matches.
France, meanwhile, have won their last five World Cup matches against European teams.
Opta’s supercomputer calculates France as the favourite, giving Les Bleus a 59.4 percent chance of victory.
A draw is rated at 20.6 percent, enough for France to finish top of Group I, while Norway is given a 20 percent chance of claiming the three points, according to Opta.
This is the first World Cup meeting between Senegal and Iraq. Senegal are unbeaten against AFC opposition at the tournament, drawing with Japan in 2018 and beating Qatar in 2022. Iraq have never faced an African team at a World Cup.
Opta’s supercomputer makes Senegal the clear favourites, giving them a 77.2 percent chance of victory compared with 8.6 percent for Iraq, while the draw is rated at 14.2 percent.
Senegal can no longer top Group I but still have a 72.2 percent chance of reaching the last 32. Iraq’s hopes are slim, with Opta giving them just a 1.1 percent chance of progressing.
This will be the first World Cup meeting between Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia have lost just one of their five previous World Cup matches against African opposition, winning two and drawing two.
Opta’s supercomputer gives Cape Verde a slight edge, with a 40.8 percent chance of victory compared with 33.9 percent for Saudi Arabia. The draw is rated at 25.3 percent.
Cape Verde have a 66.7 percent chance of reaching the last 32, while Saudi Arabia’s hopes stand at 33.3 percent.
Former tournament winners Uruguay and Spain clash at the World Cup for the third time, but for the first time in more than three decades.
Their two previous World Cup meetings both ended in draws: A 2-2 result in the final round of the 1950 tournament and a goalless group-stage deadlock at Italia ’90.
Opta’s supercomputer makes Spain the clear favourites. The reigning European champions won 62.4 percent of 25,000 pre-match simulations, while Uruguay were victorious in 15.7 percent. A draw occurred in 21.9 percent of the simulations.
Egypt and Iran will meet for the first time at the World Cup. Their only previous meeting came at the 2000 LG Cup in Tehran, ending 1-1 before Egypt won 8-7 on penalties. Current Egypt coach Hossam Hassan scored, while Iran legend Ali Daei equalised.
Iran are unbeaten against African opposition at the World Cup, beating Morocco in 2018 and drawing with Angola (2006) and Nigeria (2014).
Opta’s supercomputer gives Egypt a slight edge, with a 42.9 percent chance of victory. A draw is rated at 32.2 percent, while Iran have a 24.9 percent chance of winning.
This is the first-ever meeting between New Zealand and Belgium. New Zealand are unbeaten in their last two World Cup matches against European opposition, drawing with Slovakia and Italy at the 2010 tournament.
Belgium could become the first European side since their own team in 1998 to draw all three group-stage matches at a World Cup.
Prediction: Opta’s supercomputer makes Belgium overwhelming favourites, giving them an 80.3 percent chance of victory. A draw is rated at 11.8 percent, while New Zealand prevails in just 7.9 percent of simulations.
As of Friday, June 26, six groups have completed play, while Groups G-L are still deciding the remaining Round of 32 places.
Some key takeaways:
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Turkiye claimed a dramatic 3-2 victory over the United States thanks to a 98th-minute winner in an entertaining but ultimately inconsequential Group D finale at SoFi Stadium.
With the US already assured of top spot and Turkiye eliminated before kickoff, neither side had anything riding on the result. However, both teams produced an open, high-tempo contest in front of nearly 70,000 fans.
US coach Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes to his starting lineup, handing seven players their first World Cup starts.
Ten African teams qualified for the expanded 48-team World Cup 2026, and as many as eight could still reach the knockout stages.
Morocco and South Africa are already through, while the Ivory Coast have also secured their place in the Round of 32. Egypt, Algeria, DR Congo, Ghana and Cape Verde head into their final group matches with qualification still in their own hands.
One of the most heartwarming moments of the 2026 FIFA World Cup came before Colombia’s Group K clash against DR Congo.
As the teams lined up for the national anthems, thousands of Colombian fans fell silent so a lone DR Congo supporter could sing his country’s anthem uninterrupted. When he finished, the Colombian supporters erupted into applause and cheers, embracing him in a touching display of respect and sportsmanship.
The moment quickly spread across social media, becoming one of the tournament’s most memorable off-field scenes. Colombia went on to win the match 1-0, securing their place in the Round of 32.
One of the strangest moments of the 2026 World Cup happened off the pitch.
During the final Group E matches, FIFA President Gianni Infantino appeared on the big screens at both Ecuador vs Germany and Curacao vs Ivory Coast – even though the games were being played at the same time in different cities.
Videos of the moment quickly spread across social media, with fans joking that Infantino had found a way to be in two places at once. With World Cup stadiums spread across the US, Canada and Mexico, many were left wondering how it was possible.
The unusual moment came on a dramatic night that saw Ecuador upset Germany 2-1, while Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0 to reach the Round of 32.
Mexico completed a perfect Group A campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Czechia, making it three wins from three at the 2026 World Cup.
Already assured of top spot before kickoff, the cohosts finished the group stage in style at the Azteca Stadium. After a quiet first half, Mexico took control after the break as Mateo Chavez broke the deadlock, Julian Quinones doubled the lead with his second goal of the tournament, and substitute Alvaro Fidalgo sealed the win.
The result ended Czechia’s hopes of reaching the Round of 32, while Mexico advanced with maximum points and will face one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams in the knockout stage.
According to local media reports, downtown Kansas City was transformed into a sea of orange on Thursday as more than 35,000 Netherlands supporters took part in the famous Oranje Fanwalk before their World Cup match against Tunisia.
Fans gathered at the Power & Light District before marching through the city behind the iconic orange bus, filling the streets with songs, flags and chants on their way to the FIFA Fan Fest.
The celebration drew not only Dutch supporters but also locals and fans from around the world, creating one of the biggest fan marches of the tournament so far.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has produced dramatic matches and unforgettable fan moments, but one of the tournament’s biggest talking points has unfolded away from the pitch.
Speaking on The Take, journalist Boima Tucker said the tournament has exposed the tension between football’s message of global unity and increasingly restrictive border policies. While travelling across host cities, he visited immigrant communities celebrating the World Cup, from Moroccan and Senegalese fans in New York to Cape Verdean supporters in Massachusetts and thousands of Ghanaians who packed a watch party in Toronto.
“It’s been wonderful to get an intimate look at how the World Cup has affected people in their homes,” Tucker said. “People are excited to talk about their teams and their countries.”
At the same time, he highlighted the difficulties many have faced entering the US. Iran’s national team has been based in Tijuana, Mexico, travelling into the US only for matches, while football officials and players’ relatives have struggled to obtain visas.
Tucker said those challenges inevitably affect the tournament. “When you’re an athlete, you want to be locked in. You want to be concentrating on the field, on the results,” he said. “If you have to jump through hurdles, that’s definitely going to affect the field of play.”
He also argued that the World Cup reflects wider global inequalities. “We live in a global system that restricts people’s movement,” he said, adding that while high-profile cases may receive attention, “their reunion is not going to lead to systemic change.”
Despite the political backdrop, Tucker believes football still has a unique ability to bring people together. He described seeing immigrant communities celebrate side by side, saying the World Cup allows people from different cultures and backgrounds to connect in ways that are rarely possible elsewhere.
“I hope people remember this World Cup as one in which people across ethnic lines, national identities and class lines were able to briefly mingle and learn something about each other,” he said. “More than anything, those borders that we have in our daily lives were briefly overcome.”
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