Matchday 16 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 action brought a dramatic conclusion to Groups G, H, and I, locking in several heavyweight spots for the upcoming Round of 32. 

It was a day that witnessed Marcelo Bielsa leave his post as Uruguay coach in utter disappointment after they missed out on a glorious chance to qualify for the Round of 32 after bitter elimination at the hands of Spain.

On top of that, Ousmane Dembele enjoyed a memorable afternoon for France - arguably his greatest moment in a Les Bleus jersey as he netted a hat-trick during the 4-1 rout of Norway.

Striver.Football brings you a recap of all the action that took place on matchday 16.

France 4-Norway 1

At Boston Stadium, Ousmane Dembele stole the show by smashing one of the earliest hat-tricks in World Cup history. 

Dembele opened the scoring in the 7th minute, added a second in the 20th, and completed his treble in the 32nd minute. 

Norway, resting Erling Haaland on the bench and fielding a second-string lineup, pulled one back via Thelo Aasgaard but never truly threatened. France comfortably advanced as Group I winners.

Senegal 5- Iraq 0

In Toronto, the Lions of Teranga kept their tournament hopes alive by completely dismantling a 10-man Iraqi team. 

Habib Diarra scored early before Pape Gueye netted a spectacular second-half brace from long range. Ismaila Sarr and Iliman Ndiaye rounded out the five-goal clinic, leaving Senegal in a strong position to advance as one of the best third-placed teams, while Iraq was sent packing.

Spain 1-Uruguay 0

In Zapopan, Spain preserved their perfect composure to defeat two-time world champions Uruguay. The narrow 1-0 victory solidified Spain's grasp on the top spot of Group H. For La Celeste, the defeat marked a bitter end to their tournament as they failed to progress to the knockout rounds.

It also marked the last-ever game for Marcelo Bielsa as coach of the Uruguay national team, bringing an end to a particularly tumultuous last few years in charge of the set up.

Cape Verde 0-Saudi Arabia 0

In Houston, a tense, goalless stalemate yielded a monumental milestone. The draw allowed tournament debutants Cape Verde to claim second place in Group H, officially making them the tiniest nation in history to reach the World Cup knockout stage. 

They are now slated for a dream matchup against Argentina, and will be optimistic they can continue dreaming and upsetting all the odds, the exact same way they did on their tournament debut against Spain, when they enforced them to a 0-0 draw.

Belgium 5-New Zealand 1

After opening their campaign with two disappointing draws, Belgium finally looked like their elite selves in Vancouver.

Leandro Trossard spearheaded the assault, scoring in the 28th and 50th minutes. The 5-1 thrashing over the All Whites catapulted the Red Devils to the top of Group G, bringing an end to an underwhelming start to their campaign.

Egypt 1- Iran 1

Seattle played host to pure soccer theater. Iran believed they had punched a ticket to the Round of 32 when they scored a late match-winner, only for an agonizing VAR review to rule the goal offside. The 1-1 draw meant Belgium took the group's top spot, while Egypt and Iran await the final math of the third-place table.

FIFA World Cup Matchday 16 by the Numbers

32: The exact minute Ousmane Dembele completed his lightning-fast first-half hat-trick, ripping through Norway's secondary defensive line in clinical fashion.

5: Total goals hammered home by both Belgium and Senegal as they picked the perfect moment to maximize their goal-differential margins for the knockout paths.

0: Goals conceded by historic debutants Cape Verde in their high-stakes draw against Saudi Arabia, locking down their dream Round of 32 clash with Argentina.

1: The single late Iranian winner cruelly overturned by a millimeter-tight VAR offside review in Seattle, completely altering the qualification landscape of Group G.