Group H of the 2026 World Cup brings together teams with completely different football histories, some aiming to win it, and one whose presence alone is a big achievement.
Spain
Spain qualified with the efficiency expected of one of the strongest sides in international football. Five wins and one draw in six matches, 21 goals scored and only two conceded illustrated both their attacking depth and defensive ability, particularly given injuries to several key players during the campaign.
La Roja have been brilliant under Luis de la Fuente. Since taking charge in late 2022, he has overseen victories in the Nations League and Euro 2024. His side remain committed to possession-ball, but there is a greater sense of urgency than during previous eras. The ball is moved forward quicker, wide players attack more aggressively and the team press collectively when they lose possession.
Lamine Yamal is their standout player. He helped them to Euro 2024 victory, recording the highest number of assists and winning the goal of the tournament for his strike in the semi-final against France. He has had injury problems this season and is likely to miss their first one or two games at the World Cup, but Spain’s hopes of bettering their poor 2018 and 2022 tournaments, and possibly winning this one, will lie heavily on his performance.
Not that there are no other key players. Rodri, Pedri and Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal are three key figures who will also be pulling their weight for Spain in the Americas.
THIS IS SPAIN’S SQUAD. 🇪🇸
👥 These are the players called up to represent Spain and all our hopes at the upcoming #FIFAWorldCup.#VamosEspaña pic.twitter.com/HNQZBtKT5g
— Spanish Football (@SpainIsFootball) May 25, 2026
Uruguay
Winners in 1930 and 1950, Uruguay may be a long way from their days as an established football power, but they arrive in North America with ambitions of a resurgence.
Qualification included statement victories over both Argentina and Brazil, evidence that they can compete with the strongest teams in the world. Coach Marcelo Bielsa’s arrival has reshaped the team’s identity and they have become a high-risk, high-pressing, high-attacking side.
Federico Valverde will play a key role in midfield, one of the best players in the world in his position, with high technical quality, athleticism, and a propensity for wicked, long-range shots. However, the forward line might be a weakness for Uruguay, with former Liverpool player Darwin Nunez, who now plies his trade for Al-Hilal and last played club football in February, their main man.
There was talk of Luis Suarez returning to the side, but that ultimately fell through.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia return for their seventh World Cup in nine editions, already proving themselves as one of the most established international sides in the game, even if they have won just two of their 21 World Cup games in seven appearances.
At the 2022 World Cup, they defeated eventual champions Argentina, a feat engineered by coach Herve Renard who has coached up to 15 different sides, from Cambridge United in 2004 to Morocco and Ivory Coast in the last 10 years.
Saudi Arabia do not have established stars in their national side so they will need to rely on teamwork and the compactness coached by Renard. Having failed to reach the knockouts in any of their appearances since 1994, breaking that barrier would be their target.
It is also achievable given the allowance for best losers in this format of the tournament, but they would probably need to at least beat Cape Verde and possibly get a point from either Spain or Uruguay, which their victory over Argentina in the last tournament showed they are quite capable of.
Cape Verde
No team in Group H arrives with a more significant sense of achievement than Cape Verde. This is their first World Cup appearance and for a nation of 524,000 people that is a landmark moment.
Their qualification was secured through an impressive campaign that included a crucial victory over continental footballing power Cameroon, which ultimately allowed them to finish comfortably clear at the top of their group. Their Coach Pedro Leitao Brito is a local, and after guiding the national team to consecutive Africa Cup of Nations appearances he is now ready to lead them to the biggest stage.
Tactically, Cape Verde play directly on the African continent but at the World Cup they might need to be more conservative and compact. Fixtures against Spain and Uruguay are going to be difficult tasks and even their match against Saudi Arabia will be a huge challenge, but they will be looking to cause a few upsets.
