The final two matches of Group H take place this Saturday morning at 01:00 (BST), with Cape Verde taking on Saudi Arabia in Houston, Texas, USA at 19:00 local time (Friday), and Spain facing Uruguay at the Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico at 18:00 local time (Friday). The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already thrown up some huge shocks but the story of the tournament so far lies in Group H.

Debutants Cape Verde have gone unbeaten in their first two World Cup matches, drawing to tournament favourites Spain 0-0 and earning a well-fought point against Uruguay in a game that ended 2-2.

Now, Cape Verde face Saudi Arabia where they could potentially book their place in the next round of the World Cup at the first time of asking. Saudi Arabia sit bottom of the group before the match after drawing to Uruguay and losing to Spain most recently. 

Despite all the odds, Cape Verde have been the biggest shock of the summer. A country of just over 500,000 people and ranked 67th in the FIFA world rankings, it has been a dream tournament for the Blue Sharks so far, and it could get even better.

Cape somehow go into this match favourites after showing their quality in the first two group matches. Their performance against Uruguay was outstanding and proved that they can compete with some of the biggest names in world football. With Saudi Arabia disappointing in their two games, Cape Verde have a real chance to get their first World Cup win, which could see them finish second on 5 points, depending on Uruguay vs Spain.

Saudi Arabia were hoping to capitalise on a below-par Spain performance in their match against Cape Verde, but instead fell victim to the European champions' return to form. The Green Falcons really struggled to defend as securely as they did in their first match and were punished by Spain, who scored four goals to make their stamp on the tournament.

Georgios Donis set his side up in a 5-4-1 formation, aiming to nullify Spain's attacking threat and hit them on the counterattack when given the chance. But with Lamine Yamal returning to the starting XI and Spain needing to prove a point, La Roja were too much for Saudi Arabia and the result has put the Green Falcons in a difficult position.

Cape Verde earned their second point of the tournament against Uruguay. Marcelo Bielsa's side were underwhelming for large parts of the match, but Cape Verde's performance was wonderful. Midfielder Kevin Pina made history becoming the Blue Sharks' first ever World Cup goal-scorer and Helio Varela came off the bench to add a second.

Cape Verde was defensively solid once again and only had 35% possession. Despite not having as much of the ball, they managed to create chances, play entertaining, counterattacking football and score two goals.

Ahead of this matchup, the momentum lies with the African island, but both sides are one win away from potentially claiming a spot in the Round of 32.

Neither side has faced anymore injury setbacks since their last match. Bubista made three changes to his Cape Verde side for the Uruguay match, with Dailon Livramento, Jovane Cabral and Laros Duarte dropping to the bench. Gilson Benchimol, Telmo Arcanjo and Garry Rodrigues all started and impressed, meaning a similar side could be named.

For Saudi Arabia, a change of shape was used against Spain compared to their match against Uruguay. Donis could revert back to a 4-4-2 like the first match which would see a few changes to the side from last time. 

Salem Al-Dawsari has failed to make a big impact for the Green Falcons as of yet, but he will captain the side once again and operate on the left-hand side. With one game remaining in the group stage, Al-Dawsari will be hoping to score hsi first goal of the tournament, potentially helping his team advance through to the knockout stage.

Cape Verde 2-1 Saudi Arabia

Cape Verde have shocked the world and are now one win away from a place in the last 32 of the World Cup. In their first two matches, they have picked up two well-earnt points and they deserve to be in this position. A first ever win in this match will make history for the nation once more and after their first two matches against strong opponents, they could be seen as the favourites against this Saudi Arabia team.

Saudi Arabia have only ever made it out of the group stage once, in 1994, but a win against Cape Verde could secure their place for a second time. Before the tournament, Saudi Arabia would've been happy with their position now, drawing to Uruguay and losing to Spain. But with worrying signs in their performances and seeing how Cape Verde have exceeded expectations, this match will not be as straightforward as the would have hoped.

This match promises to be a great occasion, and considering how the group has played out so far, anything can happen in the last round of fixtures.