World Cup 2026 Group H preview: Prediction, teams, rankings, key fixture, star players

With less than a week until World Cup 2026 kicks off, excitement is building across the globe, and plenty of eyes will be on the nations in Group H.

Spain are one of the favourites to win this summer's tournament, while Cape Verde are making their first-ever World Cup appearance, Saudi Arabia were surprise performers in 2022, and Uruguay are dark horses given the talent in their squad.

Here, Sports Mole provides an in-depth preview for Group H of the 2026 World Cup, including predicted standings and every nation's key player.

World Cup 2026 Group H: Spain

FIFA ranking: 2

Having competed in each of the last 12 editions of the World Cup, Spain will be hoping to better their three disappointing finishes since lifting the famous trophy in 2010, after which they failed to progress beyond the round of 16.

La Roja went unbeaten throughout their UEFA qualifying campaign, winning five and drawing one of their six Group E fixtures - a 2-2 stalemate against Turkey on November 18.

In the months since, Luis de la Fuente's Spain downed Serbia 3-0 on March 27, though they followed up that victory with a frustrating 0-0 draw against 10-man Egypt and a 1-1 tie with Iraq on June 4.

Spain star player: Lamine Yamal

Lamine Yamal was the star of Euro 2024, and the Barcelona winger has gone from strength to strength in the two seasons since.

Still only 18-years-old, Yamal delivered an impressive 24 goals and 18 assists for La Blaugrana in 2025-26, and he will be keen to show his quality on the world stage this summer.

World Cup 2026 Group H: Cape Verde

FIFA ranking: 69

Cape Verde will make history when they appear at the World Cup for the very first time, kicking off a landmark campaign against Spain on June 15.

The Blue Sharks impressively topped their qualifying group on the way to the tournament, beating out African giants Cameroon to first place with a 3-0 win over Eswatini on October 13.

Bubista's side will be the underdogs in Group H, but they will also take heart from downing Finland on penalties in March before thoroughly beating Serbia 3-0 on May 31.

Cape Verde star player: Dailon Livramento

Cape Verde striker Dailon Livramento scored a memorable solo goal to earn his side victory over Cameroon in qualifying, and he will be keen to further cement his hero status by hitting the back of the net at the World Cup.

Livramento has struck seven times in 21 matches for the Blue Sharks to date, and the Casa Pia frontman will be raring to go this summer.

World Cup 2026 Group H: Saudi Arabia

FIFA ranking: 61

Saudi Arabia may have been eliminated in the group stage during the 2022 finals, but their 2-1 comeback win over Argentina was one of the most memorable matches of the entire tournament.

The Green One sealed their place at the 2026 World Cup with a 0-0 draw against Iraq back in mid-October, and it is commendable that the nation conceded just four times in their final six qualifiers.

However, Georgios Donis took the managerial reins from Herve Renard in April, and went on to lose his first game in the dugout 2-1 against Ecuador on May 31, extending the nation's run of defeats to four matches.

Saudi Arabia star player: Salem Al Dawsari

Saudi captain Salem Al-Dawsari scored the famous goal that beat Lionel Messi's Argentina in 2022, and he will lead the country in North America this time around.

The 34-year-old - who is also the captain of club side Al-Hilal - is one of the stars of the Saudi Pro League, and having scored 26 goals during his 108 appearances for his national team, he is the most experienced and highest scoring player in the squad.

World Cup 2026 Group H: Uruguay

FIFA ranking: 17

Two-time winners Uruguay will be looking to put their disappointing group stage exit from 2022 firmly in the past this summer, though they will have to do so without top scorer Luis Suarez.

La Celeste qualified for the 2026 World Cup after finishing fourth in South America's qualifying table, rounding off their campaign with a 0-0 draw against Chile on September 10.

Marcelo Bielsa's team have failed to win any of their last four outings, drawing three and losing one - a surprise 5-1 thrashing against the USA in November that saw Rodrigo Bentancur sent off.

Uruguay star player: Federico Valverde

Given that Uruguay icon Suarez was omitted from the squad, La Celeste will be looking to Real Madrid midfielder Valverde for inspiraton.

The 27-year-old is renowned for his energy and versatility, and it would be fair to say that he embodies manager Bielsa's footballing philosophy.

World Cup 2026 Group H key fixture: Uruguay vs. Spain

The two strongest teams in Group H (on paper) are set to clash on June 27, in a contest that could decide who finishes first and second.

Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Mexico will be the backdrop for this crucial match between Spain and Uruguay, which kicks off at 1:00am for viewers in the UK, the same time that Cape Verde take on Saudi Arabia.

You can check out all World Cup 2026 fixtures here, as well as a list of the best World Cup betting sites to use throughout the tournament.

World Cup 2026 Group H prediction

Spain are one of the favourites to win World Cup 2026, and it would not be surprising to see them finish at the top of the pile in Group H.

However, Uruguay could pose a serious threat to La Roja, especially if the likes of Darwin Nunez can help La Celeste take maximum points against the group's lower-ranked nations.

Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde look set to battle it out for third place, and the latter will be hoping to avoid a clean sweep of defeats during their first-ever appearance at the tournament.

Fancy casting your own predictions for the World Cup? Check out our interactive World Cup bracket tool here.