France maintained their perfect record in Group I with a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway, inspired by a brilliant first-half hat-trick from Ousmane Dembele
Massachusetts: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-June 27th, 2026) France and Spain secured top spots in their respective FIFA World Cup 2026 groups with impressive victories, while two-time world champions Uruguay suffered a surprising group-stage elimination. World Cup newcomers Cape Verde also booked a historic place in the knockout round.
France maintained their perfect record in Group I with a commanding 4-1 victory over Norway, inspired by a brilliant first-half hat-trick from Ousmane Dembele. The French forward struck three times within the opening 32 minutes to put his side firmly in control.
Norway briefly reduced the deficit through Thelo Aasgaard, but France restored their dominance before Desire Doue added a fourth goal in stoppage time. Norway also missed an opportunity to narrow the gap when Jorgen Strand Larsen failed to convert a second-half penalty. The win ensured France advanced to the Round of 32 as Group I winners.
Senegal kept their hopes of reaching the knockout stage alive after registering a convincing 5-0 victory over Iraq. The comprehensive win earned Senegal their first points of the tournament and significantly improved their goal difference. However, their qualification now depends on results in other groups, with hopes of progressing as one of the best third-placed teams.
In Group H, Spain defeated Uruguay 1-0 to finish at the top of the standings. Alex Baena scored the decisive goal just before half-time after a costly goalkeeping error. Spain completed the group stage unbeaten and without conceding a goal, extending their impressive unbeaten run in competitive football.
Uruguay's defeat confirmed their exit from the tournament, making them one of the biggest casualties of the group stage. Marcelo Bielsa's side ended its campaign with two draws and one defeat.
Meanwhile, Cape Verde celebrated a landmark achievement by qualifying for the knockout stage in their first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance. A goalless draw against Saudi Arabia was enough to secure second place in Group H, setting up a Round of 32 clash with defending champions Argentina.
