The fifth day of the 2026 World Cup group stage delivered a result rarely seen in the tournament's history: all four matches ended level. The standout moment came in Atlanta, where minnows Cape Verde held pre-tournament favourites Spain to a goalless draw, in a result that will echo across the competition's remaining fixtures.

Spain arrived as heavy favourites, with most observers expecting Luis de la Fuente's side to have too much quality for their African opponents. Instead, Cape Verde produced a disciplined, courageous defensive display built around 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, whose string of saves frustrated wave after wave of Spanish pressure. Fans following the tournament from home, many switching between match feeds and even downloading the lightning storm game download apk during breaks in play, were treated to one of the biggest shocks of the competition so far. De la Fuente turned to teenage sensation Lamine Yamal after the break to sharpen his attack, but Cape Verde's back line refused to break, securing a famous point.

Belgium and Egypt Share the Spoils in Group G Thriller

Elsewhere, Belgium and Egypt played out a gripping 1-1 draw. Egypt struck first through a well-placed effort from Emam Ashour, catching the Belgians cold. Belgium responded when Romelu Lukaku's persistent pressing forced Mohamed Hany into an unfortunate own goal, restoring parity. Both goalkeepers were central to the story: Thibaut Courtois and Mostafa Shoubir each produced key interventions, while Kevin De Bruyne came agonisingly close to a winner when his shot cannoned off the post late on.

Saudi Arabia Push Uruguay Close, Iran and New Zealand Share Six Goals

In Group H, Saudi Arabia once again showed why they should not be underestimated on the world stage. Abdulelah Alamri put the Asian side ahead with a sharp finish from a rebound, and goalkeeper Mohammed Alowais kept Uruguay at bay for long spells. It took until the 80th minute for Maxi Araujo to rescue a point for the South Americans, capping a match that underlined the growing competitiveness of teams once considered outsiders.

The day's most dramatic contest came in the meeting between Iran and New Zealand, which finished 2-2. Elijah Just scored twice for the Oceania representatives, giving New Zealand the lead on two separate occasions, but Iran responded each time through Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi to salvage a share of the spoils. New Zealand's spirited display on their World Cup return drew widespread praise, even in defeat of a result they had appeared close to claiming outright.

A Historic Day and a Wide-Open Group Stage

With the opening round of fixtures complete, Group G (Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand) and Group H (Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Cape Verde) are both remarkably tight, with every one of the eight teams sitting on a single point. According to tournament statisticians, this marks the first time since 1958 that a World Cup matchday has produced four draws. It is a striking illustration of how narrow the gap between traditional powers and emerging footballing nations has become, and it points to a fiercely contested run-in as both groups head toward their decisive final rounds.