Spain, Cape Verde advance to World Cup last-32
The Spanish national team sealed qualification for the Round of 32 with a 1-0 win over Uruguay in a Group H World Cup game played at the Estadio Guadalajara in Mexico.
The former World and European champions sealed qualification for the next round as Álex Baena scored the game’s only goal in the 42nd minute with his low, swirling shot slipped through the hands of veteran Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
Uruguay did all it could to get back into the game to no avail and allowed frustration to take over when midfielder Agustín Canobbio was sent off following a reckless, high challenge on Spain’s Pau Cubarsí in stoppage time.
Spain held on to its 1-0 advantage to secure a place in the next stage of the competition while Uruguay got knocked out of the group stage for the second consecutive time after suffering the same fate in 2022.
In the other Group H game, Cape Verde held Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw at the Houston Stadium to secure a place in the knockout stage at the 2026 World Cup.
40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha, emerged as the standout performer in the game as he delivered crucial saves to deny Saudi attackers.
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He stopped a dangerous header from Mohamed Kanno in first-half stoppage time and then saved a late 92nd-minute strike from Abdullah Al-Hamdan to preserve to keep the scores at 0-0.
This historic stalemate which is the third draw for the Blue Sharks extended the underdog journey for debutants with the result unfortunately eliminating Saudi Arabia from the World Cup.
Key match stats: Spain Vs Uruguay:
Possession: Uruguay 33% | Spain 67%
Accurate Passes: Uruguay 228 | Spain 553
Passing Accuracy: Uruguay 76% | Spain 89%
Total Shots: Uruguay 5 | Spain 6
Shots on Target: Uruguay 1 | Spain 1
Fouls: Uruguay 14 | Spain 14
Corners: Uruguay 1 | Spain 6
Key match stats: Cape Verde Vs Saudi Arabia
Total Shots: Cape Verde 15 | Saudi Arabia 6
Shots on Goal: Cape Verde 3 | Saudi Arabia 3
Shots off Goal: Cape Verde 7 | Saudi Arabia 0
Blocked Shots: Cape Verde 5 | Saudi Arabia 3
Possession: Cape Verde 51% | Saudi Arabia 49%
Passing Accuracy: Cape Verde 87% | Saudi Arabia 82%
Total Passes: Cape Verde 433 | Saudi Arabia 421
Corner Kicks: Cape Verde 4 | Saudi Arabia 2
