Heading into the tournament, Group H presents a structure of one top seed and three chasers. Spain sits at 1st in the FIFA rankings, significantly higher than Uruguay (15th), Saudi Arabia (59th), and Cape Verde (70th). On paper, Spain is the most secure core for qualification, but the battle for second place is not straightforward; recent fluctuations from Uruguay and Saudi Arabia have left room for Cape Verde to act as a spoiler.
Spain's last five matches resulted in 3-1, 1-1, 0-0, 3-0, and 2-2; they remain unbeaten but have not been dominant in every game. Uruguay's last five matches were 0-0, 1-1, 1-5, 0-0, and 2-1, showing the most inconsistency. Saudi Arabia's last five matches were 0-0, 3-0, 1-2, 1-2, and 0-4, lacking stability. Cape Verde's last five matches were 3-0, 3-0, 1-1, 2-4, and 1-1, showing an upward trend and the potential to be a dark horse.
The first round features Spain vs. Cape Verde on June 15 at 16:00 Beijing Time, and Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay at 22:00. The second round on June 21 features Spain vs. Saudi Arabia at 16:00 and Uruguay vs. Cape Verde at 22:00; these matchups will directly influence the qualification order.