World Cup Day 16 What to Watch: Mbappé vs. Haaland, Groups H and G sort things out

The 2026 World Cup continues on Friday with Groups G, H and I in action. Here's what you need to know for Day 16 of the World Cup. Norway vs. France Friday, June 26 | 3 p.m. ET | Foxborogh, Mass. | TV: Fox Odds: Norway (+370), France (-165), Tie (+360) This one is for all the marbles. With two wins apiece, both Norway and France are already through to the knockout round, meaning that this game will solely determine who wins the group rather than who advances. Also on the line is a more favorable path, as the winner will face a third-place team in the knockout round, while the runner-up will face a pretty solid Ivory Coast team. More importantly, this will be our first real taste of superstar vs. superstar. France’s Kylian Mbappé and Norway’s Erling Haaland are both living up to the billing so far: The two strikers both have four goals, after both scoring braces in each of their first two games. Mbappé and Haaland are both tied for second now in the Golden Boot race as a result, and could add to that tally on Friday. In the end, this game might come down to experience: Mbappé and France are a more experienced team, with the 27-year-old captain already in his third World Cup. Norway, meanwhile, is back in the tournament for the first time since 1998 with a Vikings squad young and inexperienced enough to possibly give France an edge. Senegal vs. Iraq Friday, June 26 | 3 p.m. ET | Toronto | TV: FS1 Odds: Senegal (-475), Iraq (+1200), Tie (+550) This game is going to be a battle for third place, and for a slim chance at a knockout appearance. Both Senegal and Iraq are heading into the game with zero points, meaning either team must win to get a chance at one of the eight third-place spots — and even then, teams with four points have much better chance at advancing, put both teams here at a disadvantage. Senegal currently holds a slight edge on goal differential, as Iraq is coming off three-goal losses against both Norway and France; Senegal also has more goals, and got surprisingly close to upsetting Norway in the final minutes behind a brace from Ismaïla Sarr. Either way, expect some desperation from both parties here, as neither team wants to go home due to a lack of effort. Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia Friday, June 26 | 8 p.m. ET | Houston | TV: FS1 Odds: Cape Verde (+155), Saudi Arabi (+180), Tie (+230) Cape Verde has been one of the best stories of the tournament so far: In its World Cup debut, the tiny African archipelago nation has gotten draws against Spain and Uruguay thanks to some excellent defending and heroic saves from 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha. Now, it’ll be a meeting of the Davids to close out the incredibly tight Group H. Cape Verde is currently in third, but is a hop away from second, and could advance in its first-ever tournament off a win or draw over Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, held Uruguay to a draw to kick things off but struggled against Spain. Still, the Saudis aren’t out of the running yet either, and a win over Cape Verde plus a Uruguay-Spain draw could lift them enough to as high as second place. Plus, Saudi Arabia has done well in America: The team’s last (and only) time advancing out of the group stage was back in the 1994 world Cup in the U.S. Either way, there will be a lot on the line, as both teams will have to wait until the final whistle to figure out how the chaotic Group H shakes out. Uruguay vs. Spain Friday, June 26 | 8 p.m. ET | Guadalajara | TV: Fox Odds: Uruguay (+600), Spain (-210), Tie (+330) This has not been the World Cup run that Uruguay was hoping for — or, frankly, that Spain expected either. Spain, a favorite to win it all, was held to a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde but bounced back with a win over Saudi Arabia. Uruguay, though, has yet to win against either of Group H’s underdog opponents, settling for draws against both Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. And with the way that the third-place teams are shaking out, the country’s two points might not be enough to advance to the knockout round if either Cape Verde or Saudi Arabia win and end in second. Even Spain’s four points is a little risky, though La Roja is in by far the most comfortable position of the group. This is one of few groups where both final games have a major effect on the final group standings. Uruguay will desperately hope to salvage some points on Friday in order to salvage this World Cup run. Egypt vs. Iran Friday, June 26 | 11 p.m. ET | Seattle | TV: FS1 Odds: Egypt (+145), Iran (+280), Tie (+155) Like Group H, Group G is another tight one, as a pair of draws on the first day of group play makes this table particularly complicated. Egypt is the only team to record a win so far in this group stage, defeating New Zealand for the first World Cup win in the nation’s history; those four points means that Egypt’s spot in the knockout is likely safe. Iran, though, can secure a first-place berth with a win, as the team holds a slight goals advantage over Belgium, or can draw for a shot at the third-place finishers. A loss would not be ideal for Iran’s chances in the third-place table, as the teams ending with three or four points are more likely to move on to the next round. This is also set to be an unofficial “Pride Match” — ironic given the anti-LGBTQ laws and cultures present in both of the competing countries. The designation was made by the Seattle World Cup committee prior to the draw, as the match falls on Seattle’s Pride Weekend. Both federations have requested that any Pride-related activities be prevented by FIFA, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said that the “Pride Match” is not official. But there are still set to be events celebrating Pride outside of the stadium creating an interesting game-day dynamic. New Zealand vs. Belgium Friday, June 26 | 11 p.m. ET | Vancouver | TV: Fox Odds: New Zealand (+1500), Belgium (-600), Tie (+650) Belgium is desperately hunting for its first win after a somewhat disappointing group stage run. After snatching a 1-1 draw against Egypt to start things off, Belgium faltered to a 0-0 draw against Iran while down a player. The Red Devils will at least get some help from forward Jérémy Doku, who is back with the team after briefly returning to England to welcome his first child. Though the move received baffling criticism, Belgium and its fans will still be grateful for the return of Doku, who is a fast scoring threat. And Belgium is desperate for goals, having only scored one this entire group stage — and technically, since it was an own goal, they didn’t even score it. Still, Belgium will hope to gain back some momentum against New Zealand, who is probably the least threatening team in the group. Though the Kiwis did end with a 0-0 draw to Iran, the team’s 3-1 loss to Egypt left a lot to be desired. New Zealand will certainly do its best, but for the Red Devils, it’s now or never.