Cape Verde match is a final for Green Falcons, say Saudi officials

RIYADH: Not many expected Saudi Arabia to still be in contention for a direct place in the Round of 32 heading into the final matchday of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Then again, few expected Group H to unfold the way it has.

The expectation before the tournament was straightforward: Spain and Uruguay would arrive at the final matchday on six points, leaving Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde to battle for a slim chance as one of the best third-place teams.

Instead, Saudi Arabia took a point off Uruguay, Cape Verde stunned Spain with a draw and then held Uruguay again, leaving all four teams with something to play for.

Now, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde meet at Houston’s NRG Stadium on June 27, while Spain face Uruguay in Zapopan. The permutations are remarkable.

A win for Cape Verde would send the debutants through. A Saudi victory, coupled with Uruguay failing to beat Spain, would see the Green Falcons reach the knockout stage for the first time since 1994. Even Spain are not guaranteed a top-two spot, while Uruguay could yet finish bottom of the group.

In many ways, Saudi Arabia against Cape Verde has become a knockout match before the knockout stage itself.

Al-Arabiya reporter Nayef Al-Thaqil, reporting from Houston, said the Saudi camp has embraced that reality.

“The players are treating this like a final,” he reported, adding that the defeat to Spain has already been put behind them, with the focus now firmly on correcting the mistakes made in that match.

Perhaps the most significant revelation from the Saudi camp is that the back five used against Spain are not expected to return. It would be a significant tactical shift, because if there has been one lesson from this World Cup so far, it is that bravery has been