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By Alex Brasky
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It's been an exciting start for Group H at the 2026 World Cup, as Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay are neck-and-neck ... and neck-and-neck with one point apiece after each team's first game of the tournament.
And rather than the star strikers headlining the early-tourney action, it's been a different source igniting the excitement. In both matchups on Monday, each contest featured a stellar goalkeeping effort.
During Cape Verde's improbable draw with Spain, GK Vozinha stopped all seven shots he faced to preserve a scoreless tie. In Saudi Arabia's 1-1 draw with Uruguay, which they entered as the underdog, Mohammed Al-Owais stopped nine shots, the most saves recorded by a goalkeeper in a game thus far during the 2026 World Cup.
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Vozinha's perfect save percentage leads the field, while Al-Owais is close behind after allowing just one shot to get through against Uruguay. It's been a thrilling start for all four teams, as their respective defenses and stars in goal have made all the difference.
Looking ahead, Spain will take on Saudi Arabia on Sunday at 12 p.m., while Uruguay will face off with Cape Verde later in the day at 6 p.m. This is Cape Verde's first ever World Cup, while this is the third straight World Cup for Saudi Arabia. Spain won its only World Cup title in 2010, while Uruguay's last championship came all the way back in 1950.
Elsewhere, in Group D, the USMNT is 1-0 following a 4-1 win over Paraguay this past Friday. They are set to take on the Australians in each team's second group matchup on Friday at 3 p.m. The Americans are currently favored (-170) to win the critical contest, according to FanDuel.
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