World Cup 2026 Group H preview: Prediction, odds, full team overviews
From one of the tournament favorites in Spain to one of its minnows in Cape Verde, Group H looks fairly straightforward.Of course, that doesn’t mean it will be.The Post previews Group H at the World Cup.
Teams listed in predicted order of finish.* indicates third-place team predicted to advance to the knockout stage.Odds to win the group: -475What you need to know: After a European Championship in 2024, a Nations League final appearance in 2025 and an undefeated run through World Cup qualifying, Spain is coming to America as one of the favorites to win the whole thing.
While superstar midfielder Rodri’s fitness has been an ongoing concern, he appears on pace to be fine for the World Cup, giving Spain its connective tissue.Add him to a group that features so much attacking talent — Lamine Yamal, Mikel Oyarzabal, Pedri, Dani Olmo, Nico Williams — along with one of the best goalkeeping groups in the world and you see why expectations are so high.How they play: Manager Luis de la Fuente likes Spain to play with the ball.
When they lose it, expect a high press to try and get it back as fast as possible, and when they have it, expect a high defensive line that can leave Spain susceptible to counterattacks.With Yamal and Williams on either wing, Spain tends to control games from wide areas.Star player: Yamal, just 18 years old, had a breakout tournament two years ago at the Euros and looks like a future Ballon d’Or winner.
(Rodri won the award in 2024, but injuries have hampered him since.) Yamal’s playmaking and creativity — as well as a proven big-game record at such a young age — are where his brilliance shines through most.World Cup history: Spain was the team of the early 2010s, winning the World Cup in South Africa for its first title, as well as European Championships in 2008 and 2012.Since then, they’ve been mostly disappointing on the world’s biggest stage, with a group-stage exit in 2014 followed by upset Round of 16 defeats in each of th...