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The Group H of the 2026 World Cup brings together four teams with very different yet equally appealing profiles: Spain as the major favorite, Uruguay as a historically rich contender, Saudi Arabia as a specialist in surprises, and Cabo Verde as a historic debutante in the World Cup.
On paper, the Spanish national team appears to be the strongest candidate in the region, although the history of the World Cup has shown that seemingly accessible groups can turn into genuine traps for the favorites.
Spain, led by Luis de la Fuente, arrives in North America as the current European champion and with only two losses since the coach took charge.
The call-up of 26 players includes eight footballers from FC Barcelona —among them Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Gavi, and Dani Olmo— and no players from Real Madrid, which has been described as historic.
Yamal, despite facing physical challenges, was included and is emerging as one of the standout players of the tournament.
La Roja makes its debut on June 15 against Cape Verde at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, plays its second match on June 21 against Saudi Arabia at the same venue, and wraps up the group stage against Uruguay at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The captain of Spain, Mikel Oyarzabal, summed up the team's mood: "We see ourselves with confidence, opportunities, and eagerness."
But if anyone is used to challenging others' favoritism, it's Uruguay.
Under the guidance of Marcelo Bielsa, the Celeste arrives with the mission of moving past the disappointment of Qatar 2022, where they were eliminated in the group stage despite having one of the most talented squads in South America.
Federico Valverde serves as captain and key player, backed in defense by Ronald Araújo and José María Giménez, in a squad confirmed last Sunday by Bielsa himself.
The clash between Spain and Uruguay is set to be one of the most exciting matches of the entire group stage.
Behind the two favorites is Saudi Arabia, arriving without the tag of a contender but still holding the fresh memory of its historic victory over Argentina in Qatar 2022, one of the biggest surprises in World Cup history.
Trained by Georgios Donis, the Saudis announced their official squad on June 1, featuring Salem Al-Dawsari and Feras Al-Buraikan as key offensive players, although their recent preparation has not been impressive: they lost 2-1 to Ecuador in their latest friendly match.
And then there is Cabo Verde, the most emotional story of the group.
The "Blue Sharks" make their first appearance in a World Cup, achieved after winning Group D of the African qualifiers with 23 points in 10 matches —seven victories, two draws, and one loss— securing their ticket with a 3-0 victory against Eswatini.
Under the leadership of Bubista (Pedro Brito), who has been at the helm since 2020, Cape Verde is backed by its large diaspora in Europe and aims to become one of the tournament's surprises.
In an taking place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, the margins of error are getting smaller: no one in Group H is willing to take on a secondary role.
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