Spain secured top spot in Group H and booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over former champions Uruguay on Saturday.

Álex Baena scored the only goal of the match in Guadalajara, Mexico, as Spain finished the group stage with seven points to qualify as group winners.

The decisive moment came in the 42nd minute when Baena latched onto a pass from Marcos Llorente and calmly found the back of the net. The goal proved enough to separate the two sides in a tense contest between former world champions.

Uruguay entered the match needing a victory to keep their knockout hopes alive, although a draw could also have been enough depending on the result of the other Group H fixture. However, the defeat, combined with Cabo Verde’s goalless draw against Saudi Arabia, ended Uruguay’s campaign.

Uruguay finished third in the group with two points after drawing their opening two matches before suffering defeat against Spain. It marks a disappointing early exit for the two-time FIFA World Cup champions.

Meanwhile, World Cup debutants Cabo Verde made history by progressing to the Round of 32 as Group H runners-up. After drawing all three of their group-stage matches against Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia, Cabo Verde finished unbeaten with three points to secure second place.

Spain controlled much of the first half and took a deserved lead through Baena before the break. Uruguay pushed for an equalizer after halftime and created several promising opportunities but were unable to beat the Spanish defense.

Spain nearly doubled their advantage in the 86th minute when Ferran Torres struck the crossbar, but Baena’s first-half goal remained the difference as Spain comfortably advanced to the knockout stage, where they will now await their Round of 32 opponents.