Monday Fixtures
Group H: Spain vs Cape Verde – 7:00 PM EAT
Group G: Belgium vs Egypt – 10:00 PM EAT
The 2026 FIFA World Cup continues today, Monday, June 15, with European giants Spain and Belgium beginning their campaigns as Group G and Group H action takes centre stage across North America.
Spain, among the tournament favourites, open their World Cup journey against debutants Cape Verde in what will be the first-ever World Cup match for the island nation.
The 2010 world champions are expected to dominate possession and create chances through their technically gifted squad, but Cape Verde will be eager to mark their historic World Cup debut with a memorable performance.
A victory for Spain would immediately place them among the early pace-setters as they seek a second World Cup crown.
Later in Group H, South American heavyweights Uruguay face Saudi Arabia in a fixture expected to test both sides’ ambitions.
Uruguay arrive with a reputation for physicality, discipline and attacking quality, while Saudi Arabia will hope to replicate the giant-killing spirit that stunned Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
In Group G, Belgium take on African giants Egypt in one of the most anticipated fixtures of the day.
Egypt will look to their attacking stars to challenge a Belgian side that continues to blend experience with emerging talent. Both teams know that a positive result could prove decisive in the race for qualification to the knockout stages.
The final match of the round sees Iran face New Zealand. Iran enter the contest as favourites after an impressive qualification campaign, but New Zealand will be determined to frustrate their opponents and spring a surprise.
Germany Set Early Benchmark
Meanwhile, Germany produced the biggest victory of the tournament so far after thrashing Curaçao 7-1 in their opening Group E match.
Felix Nmecha opened the scoring before Curaçao briefly levelled through Livano Comenencia. Germany quickly regained control as Nico Schlotterbeck and Kai Havertz helped establish a 3-1 halftime lead.
Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, Deniz Undav and a second goal from Havertz completed the rout as the four-time champions sent a strong warning to their rivals.
Japan Deny Netherlands Victory
In Group F, Japan fought back twice to secure a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands.
Virgil van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville scored for the Dutch, but Keito Nakamura and a late Daichi Kamada equaliser ensured the Blue Samurai claimed a valuable point.
Elsewhere, Ivory Coast edged Ecuador 1-0 thanks to a late winner from Amad Diallo, while Sweden produced one of the performances of the tournament with a commanding 5-1 victory over Tunisia.
Germany currently at the top Group E, while Sweden lead Group F. Japan and the Netherlands remain level on points, keeping the race for qualification finely balanced as the tournament gathers momentum.
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