World Cup: History and Dominance
Cape Verde Makes World Cup History Advancing; Spain Eliminates Uruguay, France Dominates Day 16
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Cape Verde made history on Day 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the smallest nation ever to reach the knockout stage. The tiny island country, with a population of just 560,000, drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia in Houston to finish second in Group H, according to AP.
Meanwhile, France looked every bit like the team to beat. Ousmane Dembélé scored a first-half hat-trick in just 32 minutes as France crushed Norway 4-1 to finish Group I with a perfect 9 points. Across the bracket, Spain knocked out Uruguay with a 1-0 win, sending the two-time world champions home.
Cape Verde's 'Miracle of Houston' Stuns the World
Cape Verde needed just three draws to advance — and that is exactly what they got. They drew with Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia in Group H. With 3 points and a goal difference of zero, they still finished ahead of Saudi Arabia on goal difference, according to The Score.
The result sparked wild celebrations. Goalkeeper Vozinha, 40 years old, kept two clean sheets across three matches. "We are the smallest country, but we have the biggest heart," he said. "To play Argentina next is a dream we didn't want to wake up from." Cape Verde will face reigning world champions Argentina in Miami in the Round of 32.
Dembélé's 32-Minute Hat-Trick Cements France as Favorites
Ousmane Dembélé scored in the 7th, 20th, and 32nd minutes against Norway. That made it one of the fastest hat-tricks in World Cup history. France went into halftime leading 3-1. A fourth goal came in the second half to seal a dominant 4-1 win, according to Post Register.
France scored 8 goals across three group games. Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner, now has 4 goals in the tournament. "We are playing with a confidence that feels unstoppable," he said, "but the real tournament starts now." Remarkably, head coach Didier Deschamps missed the match after the death of his mother, with assistant Guy Stéphan leading the team from the sideline.
Uruguay Crashes Out After Costly Goalkeeping Blunder
Spain beat Uruguay 1-0 in Guadalajara, with midfielder Alex Baena scoring the only goal. The play started with a critical error by Uruguay veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, who fumbled a routine bouncing shot directly into his own net, according to The Score.
The loss ended Uruguay's 2026 campaign without a single win. The two-time world champions — 1930 and 1950 — failed to score more than one goal in any group game. South American media called it a "painful end of an era." Muslera's blunder is widely seen as the final chapter of his international career. Spain finished first in Group H with 7 points.
Senegal Routs Iraq 5-0 But Waits on Third-Place Rankings
In the other Group I match, Senegal beat Iraq 5-0 in Toronto. Iraq finished with zero points and a goal difference of minus-9, making them one of the tournament's biggest disappointments. Senegal, sitting at 3 points, now waits to see if their goal difference is enough to advance as one of the best third-place teams, according to Voice of Alexandria.
The expanded 48-team format means the best third-place finishers from each group also advance. Senegal's plus-3 goal difference gives them a strong chance. Norway, despite the heavy loss to France, advanced as second seed in Group I with 6 points and will face Ivory Coast in the knockout round.
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