World Cup today: Uruguay, Spain, Belgium and 5 more play | OneFootball

Four matches take place in the opening round of the 2026 World Cup group stage

The 2026 World Cup continues in full swing this Monday (15), with four matches kicking off the first round of the group stage. The day’s main highlight is the debut of the Uruguay National Team, which has two Flamengo players available. ‘La Celeste’ faces Saudi Arabia in a Group H clash.

WHAT WORLD CUP MATCHES ARE ON TODAY AND WHERE TO WATCH?

WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF SPAIN VS CAPE VERDE?

Spain vs Cape Verde takes place at 1:00 PM (Brasília time) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The match opens Group H play at the 2026 World Cup.

Spain enters the tournament as one of the main favorites for the title, boosted by its recent European Championship trophy. Head coach Luis de la Fuente strengthened the team’s momentum with a 3-1 win over Peru in the last warm-up friendly.

Meanwhile, Cape Verde is making its World Cup debut after a historic African Qualifiers campaign, in which it finished top of its group. The team comes into the challenge full of confidence after ending its preparations with an emphatic 3-0 win over Serbia.

WHAT ARE THE DETAILS OF BELGIUM VS EGYPT?

Belgium and Egypt face off next at 4:00 PM (Brasília time) at Lumen Field in Seattle, in the opening round of Group G at the 2026 World Cup. Both teams are looking for a positive start to strengthen their ambitions in the tournament.

Belgium takes the field cautiously after a disappointing showing at the last World Cup. Under Rudi Garcia, who replaced Domenico Tedesco, the team regained tactical balance in the European Qualifiers and welcomed back Courtois.

In addition to the return of the experienced goalkeeper, the team is counting on names such as De Bruyne and Lukaku, along with the energy of young talents like Amadou Onana and Jérémy Doku.

On the other side, Egypt is chasing its first-ever World Cup win after going seven matches without a victory in previous editions. The Egyptians arrive confident after an unbeaten campaign in the African Qualifiers.

For this clash, head coach Hossam Hassan can count on star player Mohamed Salah, recovered from a muscle injury, alongside key players such as Marmoush and Trézéguet.

HOW DO SAUDI ARABIA AND URUGUAY COME INTO THE MATCH?

Uruguay and Saudi Arabia make their 2026 World Cup debuts at 7:00 PM (Brasília time) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Varela and De La Cruz are available, while Arrascaeta is recovering from a calf injury and will miss the opening round.

Uruguay heads into the tournament after a turbulent qualifying cycle marked by Arrascaeta’s injury. In contrast, Saudi Arabia, coached by Georgios Donis, secured its Asian berth comfortably.

While the Uruguayans are looking to repeat their titles from 1930 and 1950, the Saudis are trying to match their best-ever World Cup finish from 1994.

FLAMENGO PLAYERS ON THE FIELD?

The presence of two Flamengo players in the Uruguay National Team reinforces the club’s importance on the international stage. The Coluna do Fla team, of course, is mainly focused on the routine of the Rubro-Negro representatives at the World Cup.

Varela is expected to start, while De La Cruz will begin the match against Saudi Arabia on the bench. Thus, Uruguay’s likely lineup is as follows: Muslera, Varela, Cáceres, Olivera, Matías Viña, Valverde, Ugarte, Bentancur, Maximiliano Araújo, Federico Viñas, and Darwin Núñez.

Coluna do Fla is following every step of the Uruguay National Team, bringing information from the United States. Our commitment is to keep the Nation informed about Marcelo Bielsa’s tactical variations and how the Rubro-Negro players fit into this system that is chasing another World Cup title for La Celeste.

AND IRAN VS NEW ZEALAND?

Later, at 10:00 PM (Brasília time), Iran faces New Zealand at 4:00 PM (Brasília time). The match kicks off at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, in the opening round of Group G at the 2026 World Cup.

While Iran, ranked 20th in the FIFA rankings, is looking to get past the World Cup group stage for the first time in seven attempts, New Zealand returns to the tournament after 16 years away, coming in as the lowest-ranked team among the 48 participants and without the pressure of being favorites in a group that also includes Belgium and Egypt.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.