New Delhi: Day 15 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 delivered thrilling action across multiple groups, with France and Spain securing important victories while Cape Verde continued their remarkable journey by booking a place in the Round of 32.
France finished top of Group I after a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway, powered by a sensational first half hat trick from Ousmane Dembele. The French forward struck three times inside the opening 32 minutes as his side maintained their perfect record in the tournament. Norway, who rested several key players including Erling Haaland, struggled to cope with France’s attacking intensity throughout the contest.
In the other Group I encounter, Senegal kept their knockout hopes alive with a dominant 5-0 victory over Iraq. The African side made history by becoming the first team from the continent to score five goals in a single World Cup match. Iraq’s task became even more difficult after an early red card reduced them to ten men, allowing Senegal to take complete control of the game in the second half.
Group H witnessed one of the tournament’s biggest stories as World Cup debutants Cape Verde secured qualification for the Round of 32 following a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia. Combined with Spain’s narrow 1-0 victory over Uruguay, the result ensured the island nation progressed as group runners up while Uruguay were eliminated from the competition.
Cape Verde entered the tournament ranked 67th in the world and completed the group stage unbeaten in three matches. Their reward is a blockbuster knockout clash against defending champions Argentina.
Meanwhile, Belgium finished top of Group G with an emphatic 5-1 win over New Zealand, while Egypt and Iran shared the points in a hard fought draw.
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