Matchday 17 of the 2026 World Cup saw the second-to-last round of games of the Group Stage before the Round of 32 ups the ante starting the Knockout Stage this Sunday. Group I saw France defeating Norway 4-1 to clinch the group’s leadership, while Iraq took a 0-5 beating from Senegal.
Meanwhile in Group H, Cabo Verde and Saudi Arabia gave us the sixth scoreless match of this World Cup. In the other clash of the group, Spain beat Uruguay 1-0, leaving the Charrúas as the only South American team unable
to advance to the Round of 32.
Take a look at all the goals of matchday 17 of the FIFA World Cup below!
Senegal got the scoring started early
Senegal was on a mission to get ahead early and take control of the game — consider that accomplished as Abdoulaye Seck have the African power some momentum with a header in the 4th minute.
Senegal makes it 2-0!
Ismaïla Sarr made it 2-0 with a tap-in after a good individual effort from Lamine Camara.
Pape Gueye increases the lead with a golazo
Pape Gueye showed his super-sub nature with this golazo a couple of minutes after being subbed on. The midfielder delivered this stunner to the far post. Arjen Robben, anyone?
Back-to-back goals for Gueye
Pape Gueye scored after a headed assist that put the ball on a silver plate for the midfielder. What a rocket!
Senegal only scores stunners
Iliman Ndiaye did not want to be left out and delivered a powerful strike with his right foot. Nothing to do for Iraq’s keeper Ahmed Basil.
Ousmane Dembélé opens the scoring for France 7 minutes in
Reigning Ballon d’Or opened the score early after a precise pass from Kylian Mbappé. Three Norway defenders were unable to prevent his left-footed shot to the far post, and the Paris Saint-Germain star made it 1-0.
Dembélé does it again
Dembélé made it 2-0 in what it almost was a copy of the first goal: pass from Mbappé to the right flank, where Dembélé took his chance and put the ball in the back of the net, this time with his left foot.
Norway is ready to fight back
Norway did not want to die without a fight and pulled one back right after France’s second goal. Thelo Aasgaard seemed to catch the French defense still celebrating to make it 2-1.
Dembélé makes history with a first-half hat trick
Ousmane Dembélé became the sixth player to achieve a first-half hat trick in a World Cup with a far post shot in Norway’s crowded box.
Viking disgrace! Norway misses penalty at the start of the second half
Norway was awarded a penalty after winger Oscar Bobb was tripped in the box by Theo Hernández. However, for Norwegian fans’ dismay, French keeper Mike Maignan saved the penalty, blocking Jørgen Strand Larsen’s rather weak attempt.
Désiré Doué delivers the nail in the coffin
Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola assisted his club and country teammate Désire Doué for a header right from the penalty spot. This is Doué’s first World Cup goal ever.
What a blunder from Uruguay’s keeper
Alex Baena’s shot did not seem to carry a lot of power and danger; however, a bad approach to the save by Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera saw the ball slowly crawl to the back of the net. Due to this blunder, Muslera was subbed off during the halftime, and Uruguay has been eliminated from the World Cup.
Egypt starts the party early
Egypt’s Mahmoud Saber knew his team had to be all-in in the final match of its group, so he opened the score after a deflection from Iran’s goalkeepeer Alireza Beiranvand, nutmegging him in the process.
Penalty for Iran!
Just minutes after Egypt’s goal, they got a penalty call against them after defender Mohamed Abdelmonem mishandled the ball, and made contact with Mehdi Taremi, after the latter was about to win the ball back.
The penalty is blocked!
Egypt goalkeeper Ahmed Shobeir saved Taremi’s attempt, keeping the score 1-0 for the Egyptians.
Rezaeian gives Iran the equalizer
Ramin Rezaeian makes it 1-1, finding the ball after a deflection from Egypt keeper Shobeir.
Iran’s late winner is disallowed!
Shojae Khalilzade scored a 93rd minute goal, but was eventually called offside and disallowed after having been VAR’d.
Trossard puts Belgium ahead
Leandro Trossard puts Belgium in the lead after a poorly defended corner kick. New Zealand’s defender had his back turned and was unable to clear the ball, gifting Belgium the first goal of the match.
Trossard gets a brace to make it 2-0
The winger makes it 2-0 after his first attempt bounced off his teammate Charles De Ketelaere.
Kevin De Bruyne increases the lead
The Belgian legend makes it 3-0 with a well-directed shot from the edge of the box to beat New Zealand’s keeper Max Crocombe. It is De Bruyne’s first goal of the 2026 World Cup.
New Zealand pull one back in the final minutes of the game
Elijah Just makes it 3-1 in the 84th minute, finding the ball at the edge of the box after Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois punched a corner kick away.
Romelu Lukaku scores his first 2026 World Cup goal
Romelu Lukaku scored a header in his first touch in the 86th minute after being subbed on a couple of minutes earlier.
Game, set and match for Belgium
Alexis Saelemaekers scores the fifth for Belgium with an assist from Romelu Lukaku to clinch the first place of Group G.
Cape Verde becomes the smallest country to advance to the knockouts after drawing 0-0 to Saudi Arabia
Seven teams advanced to the Knockout Stage: Belgium and Egypt as 1st and 2nd-placed in Group G; Spain, Cape Verde (!) from Group H; and France and Norway from Group I, with Senegal also advancing as one of the best third-place teams. Today’s matchday 17 will see the last games in the Group Stage to determine the remaining clashes in the Round of 32.
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