Matchday 15 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup saw three groups close out their group stage match. Here's where it stands for Group I, H, and G:
Group I - France top group, Norway second, Senegal third (into knockouts), Iraq eliminated.
Group H - Spain top group, Cape Verde second, Uruguay third (eliminated), Saudi Arabia eliminated.
Group G - Belgium top group, Egypt second, Iran third (progress TBC), New Zealand eliminated.
Egypt 1 - 1 Iran
(Saber 5' - Rezaeian 14')
Egypt and Iran played out a thrilling 1-1 draw, which was enough for the African giants to progress in second place with five points, while Iran finished third in the group with three points, awaiting their fate after late drama that saw a winner ruled out.
Egypt began the scoring with their fastest-ever goal at a World Cup, with Mahmoud Saber rifling a low drive through the legs of Alireza Beiranvand after great work from Mohamed Salah. Iran were swiftly afforded the chance to equalise when Mohamed Abdelmonem fouled Mehdi Taremi in the box, but the striker saw his effort from the spot saved by Mostafa Shobeir.
Iran were level soon after as Ramin Rezaeian equalised in the 14th minute. Milad Mohammadi cut inside from the left wing and curled a shot towards the bottom corner, with Shobeir palming it out. Rezaeian pounced and powered a rising shot from a narrow angle to bring Iran back into the game, with the scores level at half-time.
Both teams tried gamely in the second half to find a winner, and Iran almost pulled it off with Taremi heading a corner onto the crossbar in the 90th minute. There was further heartbreak in store, as Shoja Khalilzadeh scored from a set-piece but VAR ruled the goal out for offside. Saeid Ezatolahi also hit the crossbar with a header in the final moments, leaving Iran on tenterhooks, awaiting their fate as the final whistle blew.
New Zealand 1 - 5 Belgium
(Just 84' - Trossard 28' 50', De Bruyne 66', Lukaku 86', Saelemaekers 90+4')
Belgium powered their way to the top of Group G with a 5-1 win over New Zealand, as Leandro Trossard grabbed a brace, with New Zealand eliminated.
Belgium saw VAR cancel a penalty awarded to them in the 19th minute, but took the lead nine minutes later. New Zealand dawdled in the box from Kevin de Bruyne's corner, and Leandro Trossard pounced, turning it in from point-blank range. The Arsenal forward was at it again five minutes into the second half, turning brilliantly in the box after being fed by De Bruyne, before watching his shot blocked but volleying home the rebound. De Bruyne then got on the act in the 66th minute, rifling a low drive from the edge of the box into the bottom right corner.
Elijah Just then scored a consolation in the 84th minute, lashing the ball into the net after Thibaut Courtois punched a corner right to him on the edge of the box. Romelu Lukaku then came on and scored with his first touch, rising high at the far post and heading the ball into the net from Nicolas Raskin's cross. Alexis Saelemaekers put the icing on the cake in injury time, powering a shot past a wrong-footed Max Crocombe in the New Zealand net, sealing Belgium's victory.
Uruguay 0 - 1 Spain
(Baena 42')
A Fernando Muslera errors saw Uruguay concede a first half goal to Álex Baena, and that meant Spain topped the group while Uruguay were eliminated with just two points across their three World Cup games.
Marcelo Bielsa's men, seeking a win to progress, were as scratchy as they have been all tournament and barely troubled Unai Simón's goal. Spain, meanwhile, were comfortable throughout (until a late, panicked flurry from the Uruguay attack), and scored after Baena got on the end of Marcos Llorente's low, drilled cross and hit it straight at goal, where it squirmed under Muslera.
Cape Verde 0 - 0 Saudi Arabia
A third straight draw for debutants Cape Verde saw them seal a shock entry into the World Cup. It was a game in which Cape Verde had the better of the play, and the chances, despite it being Saudi Arabia who needed a win to advance. They created 1.52xG to Saudi's 0.27 and it took some heroics from Mohammed Al Owais to keep Cape Verde from celebrating their progress with a first ever World Cup win.
Senegal 5 - 0 Iraq
(Diarra 4', I.Sarr 56', P.Gueye 59', 71', I.Ndiaye 82')
Senegal dismantled 10-man Iraq 5-0 as and qualified as one of the eight best third-placed finishers. Sitting on three points and a goal difference of +2, they did enough to go through in third place, with other results going their way.
Senegal opened the scoring early when a thundering Abdoulaye Seck header deflected off Habib Diarra and then soon it became worse for Iraq when Rebin Sulaka was sent off (after a VAR review) for blatantly pulling back Sadio Mané as the Senegal skipper looked to bear down on goal. Iraq held out for the first half, but Senegal turned on the style in the second. Ismaïla Sarr poked home a clever finish after Henri Camara robbed Zidane Iqbal on the edge of the box, to make it 2-0. Substitute Pape Gueye then came on and absolutely smashed two hits past a hapless Iraqi defence and keeper to make it 4-0 before Illiman Ndiaye ran onto to a P.Gueye through ball and hit one into the roof to add a fifth late on.
Norway 1 - 4 France
(Aasgaard 21'; Dembele 7',20',32', Doue 90+4'))
Ousmane Dembélé became the first man to score a hattrick in the first of a World Cup game since 1994 as he and France dismantled a second-string Norway side to finish with a perfect 100% record in the group stages. They topped the group, while Norway finished second.
Norway will face Ivory Coast while France need to wait to see which of the best third placed teams they will meet.
Dembele showed his class early by getting on the end of a Kylian Mbappé pass, racing into the box and slamming a right-footed hit past the goalkeeper from close range. He then made it two with another superb effort, seizing on another Mbappe pass, cutting in and curling home from range. Norway stunned France right from kickoff after that goal as Thelo Aasgaard shimmied away from his marker and hit fizzing low shot. Dembele, though, repeated his trick again and cut in to make it France 3-1.
In the second half, Theo Hernández brought down Oscar Bobb in the box, but a poor Jorgen Strand Larsen penalty kick was saved by Mike Maignan and that was that for the comeback. Désiré Doué headed France a fourth to put the final flourish on a commanding performance.