For the first time in 68 years, four World Cup matches in one day ended in ties. One of these happened to be a big upset while the others were probable but not expected.
Spain 0-0 Cabo Verde
Considered a huge win for Cabo Verde, they were able to hold on to a goalless draw in their opening match against Spain, one of the favorites to win the tournament. Spain seemed to go into this match expecting an easy win which was reflected in their lineup as key players Dani Olmo and 18-year-old star Lamine Yamal did not make an appearance until the last 20 minutes of the game.
Cabo Verde put on an impressive defensive show, stopping Spain’s 23 chances, eight of which the keeper had to make some impressive saves to keep out. Despite having 74% of the possession, Spain could not figure out a way of beating Cabo Verde’s back line.
Based on the other group results, Spain and Cabo Verde now sit in third and fourth place respectively, with Spain having no more room for slip-ups if they still expect to make it out on top of the group.
Belgium 1-1 Egypt
This was about as even a game as you could have: Belgium had 53% of possession and only took one more shot than Egypt did. Unfortunately for the Egyptian side, they would score both goals.
An early goal in the 20th minute by Emam Ashour would give them a lead going into halftime. In the 66th minute a cross that was meant for Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku, would actually hit off of Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany before going into the net and giving Belgium the equalizing goal.
After yesterday’s results, this, like the match above, puts Belgium and Egypt in third and fourth place in their group. Again, this leaves no more room for error as both were thought to be the ones battling for first and second place in the group.
Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay
This was the most draining match so far, with both teams looking like they could barely move in the final minutes. Given the stats, most would think it was an easy game for Uruguay, as they doubled almost everything that the Saudis accomplished. Uruguay had 65% of possession, 27 shots with 10 on target compared to the Saudi Arabia’s seven shots with only three on target.
The one break for both teams is the fact that they both scored in their stalemate. As a result, their goals put them ahead of Spain and Cabo Verde with Uruguay taking the top spot and Saudi Arabia following in second.
If both can at least keep up this type of result, both may have a chance at making it out of the group, with Spain potentially being the ones having to risk qualification as a third-place team.
Iran 2-2 New Zealand
This was the biggest tie of the day. The scoring started early as New Zealand striker Elijah Just, needed only seven minutes to find the back of the net. He would go on to score again in the 55th minute, both being the go-ahead goals at the time.
Iran would equalize for the first time at the 32nd minute thanks to defender Ramin Rezaeian. After some pinballing in the box, Rezaeian was left with the ball and his back to goal. He was able to use his right foot and hook the ball behind him and the opposing keeper and into the goal, almost as if doing a behind-the-back pass in basketball.
In the 64th minute, Iran would tie things up for the second and final time with a perfectly placed header by winger Mohammad Mohebi, that bounced off the lower left goal post and in.
Since both teams were able to get two goals in their draw, New Zealand now leads the group with Iran following in second.
For better or worse, both groups essentially get to start fresh in their next matches, only now they have one less chance to try and sneak out of their respective groups.
As always, stay tuned to Futbolhijo.com for in-depth coverage of the biggest World Cup yet. Check back for my next article, where I will be covering matches and news that occur throughout the tournament. You can also read my previous recap of the first upset of the World Cup.
Cover Photo: Flages of the eight teams. NOTE: Image generated using the prompt “generate an image for me that has the flags of Spain and Cape verde, Belgium and Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, and Iran and Newzealand,” by OpenAI, ChatGPT, 2026 (https://chatgpt.com/).
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