Group H Matchday 2: Can Spain Actually Score This Time, and Is Uruguay vs Cape Verde a Trap Too?

Group H was already the messiest group at World Cup 2026 after Matchday 1, with Spain, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, and Cape Verde all level on one point. We covered the full breakdown in our piece on why Spain weren't the safe pick everyone assumed. Today, Matchday 2 should finally create some separation, with Spain facing Saudi Arabia and Uruguay facing Cape Verde.

Spain vs Saudi Arabia, Atlanta, 5PM BST

Spain had 27 shots against Cape Verde last time out and scored zero. That's the headline stat going into this one, and it should make anyone treating Spain as an automatic pick think twice. Saudi Arabia, for their part, held Uruguay to a 1-1 draw in their opener and have history on their side when it comes to shocking bigger nations, most famously beating Argentina at the last World Cup.

For Last Man Standing pools, this is a genuine dilemma. Spain are still the better side on paper, and a misfiring attack tends to find its range eventually. But "eventually" isn't a great word to build a pick around when elimination is on the line. If you've got a cleaner option elsewhere in your remaining fixtures, this might not be the round to commit to Spain.

For predictor games, the value here might be in backing Spain to win but avoiding a heavy-margin prediction. A repeat of last time's wastefulness, say a 1-0 or 2-0, is more likely than another goal avalanche.

Uruguay vs Cape Verde, Miami Gardens, 11PM BST

Cape Verde's story so far has been built on a 40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha, who single-handedly kept Spain out. That kind of performance can be once-in-a-tournament, or it can be the start of a pattern. Uruguay will be wary either way, especially after needing a late equaliser themselves just to draw with Saudi Arabia.

This is the more interesting predictor match of the two. Cape Verde have shown they can frustrate good teams without scoring much themselves, which points towards another low-scoring affair. For Last Man Standing purposes, Uruguay are the more obvious pick of the two sides, but "obvious" hasn't worked out for anyone in this group yet.

The pool strategy takeaway

Group H has punished every assumption so far. Spain looked safe and drew. Saudi Arabia and Uruguay cancelled each other out. If you've got picks left in cleaner groups, like the Netherlands in Group F or Germany in Group E, this is still the group to treat with caution. If you're committed to Group H already, today's results should tell you a lot more than Matchday 1 did.

If you're running a Last Man Standing pool or a predictor game for the World Cup, Matchroom handles picks and results automatically, free at getmatchroom.app.