FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H: Spain overdue a concerted tilt at the title

Former world champions Spain and Uruguay are the big names in Group H of the 2026 World Cup, while debutants Cape Verde and headline-makers Saudi Arabia have plans to progress to the extended knockout stage. 

The Green Falcons beat eventual winners Argentina in the 2022 finals, so there will be nothing taken for granted in a hotly-contested section. My FIFA World Cup Group H predictions are below, complete with team-by-team previews and Betfred’s latest odds.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

Spain

FIFA world ranking: 2

To win the group: 2/9

La Roja are due a really big performance at the World Cup finals, with their last appearance in the quarter-finals having come on the way to their sole championship in 2010. Four years later, they were dumped out at the group stage and since then they have posted a pair of Round of 16 finishes.

Will it be any different this time? Well, they do come into this competition as European champions, although it's been a pretty sorry tale for their predecessors in this position. Indeed, Spain's 2010 triumph is the only occurrence of the reigning Euro kings reaching a World Cup quarter-final since Germany did so in 1998.

There is a lot of hope about this young, fresh looking squad following up their continental form of 2024 under Luis de la Fuente, and you can understand that fervour given the depth of quality available to the 64-year-old head coach.

Key player: Lamine Yamal

There's every chance that Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has a similar impact on this World Cup to Kylian Mbappe's display in Russia eight years ago.

The Frenchman was 19 then, had already made his name with Monaco and then Paris Saint-Germain, and was ready to make a breakthrough at international level after scoring four goals in 15 games for Les Blues. He went on to net four times, including twice in a virtuoso performance to eliminate Argentina, and never looked back.

With six goals in 25 caps and a burgeoning reputation approaching his 19th birthday, Yamal finds himself similarly positioned. And now that the finals have been lengthened by a round there could be a greater platform for just such a talent to play his way to the very top of his form despite the fact he's likely to miss the three group matches. He wouldn't be the first La Masia product to make a lasting impact in the biggest tournament of all.

Prediction: The draw could be fairly kind to Spain if they come out top of the standings, with a runner-up from Group J and the likes of Colombia and Belgium potentially standing in their way before a team of France's ilk would await them in the semis. That might well be where their tournament ends, but I wouldn't bet against them being there on the biggest night of all in New Jersey.

Football Odds

Uruguay

FIFA world ranking: 17

To win the group: 7/2

Football's first-ever world champions, Uruguay's recent history has been a tale of battling to regain international significance since their 1930 and 1950 successes.

They've reached three semi-finals since then, but only one post-1970, and magnificent players such as Enzo Francescoli, Ruben Sosa, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani have joined a long list of excellent Uruguayan footballers to not reach a World Cup final.

And there is little expectation of this group of players even coming close to breaking that trend, with most of their core of stars of this millennium having left the international stage.

Key player: Federico Valverde

Any side with a Real Madrid vice-captain bossing their midfield has to be taken seriously, with Federico Valverde having become one of the key players for Los Blancos as well as a fulcrum of his national team.

His relentlessness between the boxes makes him a threat to any opponents, and if the likes of Giorgian de Arrascaeta and Manuel Ugarte can complement him in the engine room then the La Celeste can go on a decent run in North America.

Prediction: Uruguay's difficulty shouldn't be in getting out of the group, but in seeing off Argentina in the first knockout round. That is how they are set up to fair if they finish second in Group H and the reigning champions top their pool with Austria, Algeria and Jordan. Reaching the last 16, let alone the quarters, will be a big achievement.

World Cup Odds

Saudi Arabia

FIFA world ranking: 61

To win the group: 16/1

One of the great highlights of the last World Cup in Qatar was Saudi Arabia's 2-1 win over Argentina in the Group C opener. It was typical of the Green Falcons' history in the competition that they should go on to lose to Poland and Mexico and be eliminated at the first hurdle.

In theory, they have a chance of qualifying from their group for only the second time (the only previous time was on debut in 1994) thanks to the extension of the tournament which sees them come in as the third-highest ranked Group H team.

They will hope that the experience many of their squad have had the chance to absorb from the international names playing in the Saudi Pro League can stand them in good stead for a tilt at the knockout stage.

Key player: Salem Al-Dawsari

It was Salem Al-Dawsari whose name was on everyone's lips back in November 2022 when his winning goal downed Lionel Messi and Argentina, and four years on he leads his side as their captain and main attacking hope.

With over 500 career appearances to his credit, Al-Dawsari has been a mainstay for both Al-Hilal and Saudi Arabia for almost 15 years now. And in recent times he has only got better, with 24 and 27-goal seasons for his club since he was last on this stage.

If he can have a say in his side picking up at least a point from their games against Uruguay and Spain, then much of the job of qualifying from the group might have been done.

Prediction: There should be a third place in this for the Saudis, and Uruguay are certainly not the force of old so could give them an opportunity for a top-two spot. But the uncertainty of their potential path beyond the group phase if they finish above only Cape Verde makes them a difficult horse to back beyond the Round of 32.

Given tough routes for other Asian teams, getting behind the Green Falcons to better the rest of their confederation might be the way to find value.

Cape Verde

FIFA world ranking: 69

To win the group: 50/1

Only one nation with a smaller population than Cape Verde's 550,000 has ever played at the World Cup before 2026, and while Curacao will be breaking Iceland's record in that particular category, the Blue Sharks' participation is no less historic.

Never before has the archipelago nation come any closer than five group-phase points away from qualifying for a World Cup, and they failed to reach the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025.

Yet they were sensational in the preliminary round for this summer's finals, bouncing back from a punishing 4-1 defeat to Cameroon to win six and draw one of their remaining seven games to qualify automatically.

Anything from this point on is a huge bonus.

Key player: Ryan Mendes

Cape Verde have quite the mix in their squad, with Shamrock Rovers defender Pico Lopes becoming the first League of Ireland player ever to star at a World Cup finals tournament.

They are led by 96-cap skipper Ryan Mendes, who has represented the likes of Lille, Kayserispor and Nottingham Forest before and now finds himself plying his trade in the Turkish second tier with Igdir.

Granted, Mendes is like every other Cape Verdean in history in that he has no experience of World Cup football. But his 16 years of international know-how could be vital if the Creoles are to pick up some points in a tough Group H.

Prediction: Head coach Bubista will be a national hero whatever happens, but if Cape Verde can keep things respectable against Spain in particular but also Uruguay, a victory over Saudi Arabia wouldn't be outwith the realms of possibility. The value bet, though, is for them to be in games rather than to win them.

Acca Flex

Football Accumulators (5+ legs). All markets. Min odds 1/2 per leg. 5%-100% cash bonus if all selections win. £10 max refund if 1 leg loses. Paid within 24hrs of bet settlement. No Cash Out bets. T&Cs Apply.

Sports Welcome Offer

New customers only. Deposit via Debit Card & place first bet £10+ (1/1+) on Sports in 7 days. £30 Sports & £20 Acca Free Bets within 10 hrs of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility, payment excl. & T&Cs Apply.

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.