Check out our other previews: Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F | Group G
Spain
Best World Cup finish: Champions in 2010; Appearances: 17; World ranking: 2
Path to the Finals
Impeccable and commanding - that’s how you could describe La Roja’s qualifying campaign, with them averaging almost a rout per match against Georgia, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
They only dropped points with a draw against Turkey, conceding their first two goals in the final matchday, when everything was already decided in their favour.
Key player
In a squad as balanced as Spain’s, yet packed with established stars like Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, there’s one who shines brighter than anyone else in world football. A prodigy who keeps breaking records, who plays with the boldness of youth and a natural ease, as if he were playing with friends in the schoolyard.
Lamine Yamal is a universal talent capable of winning games on his own. And at the World Cup, as long as he arrives in good physical shape, his quality threatens to be a lethal weapon for Spain.
Editor’s view
There’s no doubt that Spain are one of the clear favourites to lift the World Cup and add a second star to their crest. They are the current European champions, runners-up in the Nations League, and are on a streak of 31 official matches unbeaten (penalty shootouts are not counted in this statistic).
All this with a style of play that has evolved from the tiki-taka that won them the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Luis de la Fuente’s side has a bit less possession in midfield, but more options and verticality on the wings, especially with Lamine Yamal, making them even more unpredictable.
If they can establish a solid centre-back pairing and Rodri returns to his best form, the sky will once again be the limit for La Roja.
Flashscore prediction
At the very least, they should reach the semi-finals; that’s the minimum expected from one of the strongest contenders in the tournament. Moreover, their recent results have rightfully earned them the favourite tag.
They play with joy, score plenty of goals, hardly give up chances, and have several tactical plans depending on how much verticality they need. Who can offer more?
Fixtures:
June 15th, 18:00 CET: Spain vs Cape Verde - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
June 21st, 18:00 CET: Spain vs Saudi Arabia - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
June 26th, 02:00 CET: Uruguay vs Spain - Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
Uruguay
Best World Cup finish: Champions in 1930 and 1950; Appearances: 15; World ranking: 17th
Path to the Finals
Starting strong and fading a bit, Uruguay secured their World Cup spot thanks to a solid first half of the South American qualifiers, stringing together big wins, including against Brazil and in Argentina.
But after the break for Copa America 2024, when the World Cup qualifiers resumed, Marcelo Bielsa’s team was no longer the same. They lost attacking power and raised many defensive doubts. Even the coach’s authority was questioned, with harsh external criticism, such as from Luis Suarez, who said the players were tired of his methods.
Even so, they finished fourth and booked their ticket with 28 points after seven wins, seven draws, and four losses.
Key player
Looking for redemption after a season at Real Madrid that didn’t go as he hoped, Federico Valverde, the captain of La Celeste, has the chance to make amends by leading his country.
He has both technical quality and physical strength, is a true box-to-box player who can defend, attack, and build play, and is so versatile that he could even play as a goalkeeper if needed.
He needs to be the leader both on and off the pitch and take on the responsibility as Uruguay’s main star.
Editor’s view
Uruguay raise a lot of questions. Historically, they should always be considered contenders to go far, but it’s been a long time since they’ve shone in the latter stages of major tournaments, and their current form doesn’t exactly inspire optimism. Nor do they seem to have great attacking solutions.
Even so, you’d expect them to react at some point, because they have the players for it, especially in midfield. While the generation of Luis Suarez, Edison Cavani, and Diego Forlan is now in the past, the current group led by Fede Valverde, along with Darwin Nunez, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Ronald Araujo, should be able to put Uruguay back in the international spotlight.
Flashscore prediction
They should finish second in the group, but it’s unlikely they’ll finish ahead of Spain, and a likely round of 16 clash with Argentina could see them exit the tournament earlier than they’d like.
Fixtures
June 16th, 00:00 CET: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
June 22nd, 00:00 CET: Uruguay vs Cape Verde - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
June 26th, 02:00 CET: Uruguay vs Spain - Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
Saudi Arabia
Best World Cup finish: Round of 16 in 1994; Appearances: 7; World ranking: 61st
Path to the Finals
Saudi Arabia's path to qualification was full of obstacles. They finished second in their group in the second round of the AFC preliminary phase, and in the third round, they ended up behind Japan and Australia, who qualified directly for the World Cup.
They then had to go through a fourth round, where they beat Indonesia 3-2 and drew 0-0 with Iraq. Thanks to goal difference, those results secured their place at the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Key player
Saudi forward Salem Al Dawsari is a national idol - just remember the goal he scored at Qatar 2022 to defeat Argentina. He continues to shine for Al Hilal and his national team, wearing the number 10, captaining the side, and being their top scorer and best assist provider.
If the Green Falcons are to make an impact at the World Cup, it will be because their left winger has made his mark with his dribbling, speed, and excellent long-range shooting.
Editor’s view
Saudi Arabia have become a World Cup regular over the last 30 years, but have only reached the knockout stage once in their six appearances, the last three of which have been consecutive.
After a massive investment by their leaders in their domestic league to attract talent - not just players, but also elite and youth coaches - it’s time to show real progress and a step up in the quality of their national product.
They almost managed it in Qatar 2022, where they opened with a win over eventual champions Argentina. We’ll see if, after Herve Renard’s departure in April, Greek coach Georgios Donis - who knows Saudi players well after a decade coaching in the country - can lead the team to greater heights.
Flashscore prediction
Optimistically, they could advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
Despite their strong showing in Qatar, albeit in conditions that clearly favoured them in Asia, they couldn’t reach the knockout stage. Four years later, with the heat as an ally, they need to show their progress, and if they can take points off the group’s two favourites, they could go into the final match with everything to play for and a chance to reach the second round again.
Fixtures
June 16th, 00:00 CET: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
June 21st, 18:00 CET: Spain vs Saudi Arabia - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
June 27th, 03:00 CET: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia - NRG Stadium, Houston
Cape Verde
Best World Cup finish: N/A; Appearances: Debut; World ranking: 69th
Path to the Finals
Cape Verde had an almost perfect qualifying campaign, finishing top of Group D with 23 points after seven wins, two draws, and just one loss, scoring 16 goals and conceding eight. And that was despite facing more established rivals like Cameroon, Angola, and Libya, as well as Mauritius and Eswatini.
Their only defeat was a heavy loss in the opening match in Cameroon, but from then on they strung together win after win until, after drawing with Libya in the penultimate round, they secured their first-ever World Cup ticket with a 3-0 win over modest Eswatini.
Key player
At 36 years old, and although his leadership can be debated with the emerging Dailon Livramento, Cape Verde’s success can’t be understood without Ryan Mendes’ contribution - a player with experience in France and England, and currently in Turkey.
He’s lost a bit of speed, which is natural with age, and doesn’t score as many goals as before - just five this year with Igdir - but he still has a quality touch and great game intelligence, allowing him to conserve energy for when he can really make a difference in the final third. Mendes is Cape Verde’s all-time top scorer (22), their most-capped player (94), and, ultimately, the standard-bearer for the Blue Sharks.
Editor’s view
With barely half a million inhabitants, as the second least-populated country ever to play at a World Cup, and debuting in a group with giants like Spain and Uruguay, Cape Verde’s chances don’t look too promising.
As one of the tournament’s underdogs, any points taken off those two nations would be almost like lifting the trophy in their debut. They should have more chances against the Saudis in their third and final match, trying to reach the second round as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
It’s expected that their playing style will be the same as the one that got them to the World Cup: not much quality to create play, but their revered coach Bubista relies on a compact defensive block and quick counterattacks whenever there’s the slightest chance to exploit the speed of their wingers. And watch out for set-pieces.
Flashscore prediction
Eliminated in the group stage. Their inexperience, lack of creativity, and the level of their opponents don’t bode well for the Africans’ chances. However, precisely because they arrive with no pressure and unmatched enthusiasm, they dream of pulling off a surprise. But it would be almost miraculous if they did, so it’s likely they’ll finish bottom of the group and head home sooner rather than later.
Fixtures
June 15th, 18:00 CET: Spain vs Cape Verde - Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
June 22nd, 00:00 CET: Uruguay vs Cape Verde - Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
June 27th, 03:00 CET: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia - NRG Stadium, Houston