Spain were held to a 0-0 stalemate by debutants Cape Verde in Group H, with the European champions dominating possession (74 percent) and territory but unable to break through a disciplined defence.
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Belgium and Egypt shared the points after a 1-1 draw in Group G, a contest in which Egypt led through Emam Ashour before Romelu Lukaku’s introduction helped force an equaliser via an own goal from Mohamed Hany.
Saudi Arabia and Uruguay also finished level at 1-1 in Group H, with Abdulelah al-Amri giving Saudi Arabia the lead before Maxi Araujo struck late to salvage a point for Uruguay.
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The most open game of the day came in Group G, where Iran and New Zealand played out a 2-2 draw in their opener at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Elijah Just scored twice for New Zealand, but Iran fought back through Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi in front of a 70,108-strong crowd, with the match played against a backdrop of pre-match political demonstrations outside the venue.
The collective result means all four fixtures ended level, a remarkably rare occurrence at World Cup level. It is only the second time in tournament history that a full matchday has produced nothing but draws, and the first time in 68 years that four consecutive matches on the same day have finished without a winner.
All 4 World Cup matches today ended in a draw 🤯
This is the 2nd time in World Cup History and the first time in exactly 68 years, there were 4 draws in a single day! pic.twitter.com/h4ZG9TwIp3
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) June 16, 2026
Photo: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Nathan Ray Seebeck
