Saudi Arabia vs. Cape Verde Odds, Picks & Predictions - Group H, 06/26
After all the hoopla and the run up, the 2026 World Cup continues their third round of group play games with a Group H matchup as Saudi Arabia takes on Cape Verde Friday night and we have you covered with our Saudi Arabia vs. Cape Verde prediction. Saudi Arabia was blanked 4-0 by Spain in their second group matchup Sunday in their previous match. Cape Verde battled Uruguay to a 2-2 draw in their second group play match Sunday their last time out. This marks the first time that the two sides have met in World Cup play. Let’s break down this Saudi Arabia vs. Cape Verde matchup.
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Saudi Arabia Hoping to Climb Out of Cellar
Saudi Arabia in the World Cup
In 2026, Saudi Arabia makes their seventh World Cup appearance and their third straight. The Green Hornets own a record of four wins, three draws and 14 losses in World Cup play. Saudi Arabia entered the World Cup 61st in the FIFA world rankings. The Green Hornets have no wins, one draw and one loss in group play. They are third in the group with a -4 goal differential. Saudi Arabia needs a win here to have any shot at qualifying for the knockout rounds.
Saudi Arabia Last Match
Against Spain, Saudi Arabia was overmatched and it showed as they were drubbed soundly. The Green Hornets lost the possession battle by a two-to-one margin in the match. Saudi Arabia lost the shots on goal by an 8-1 margin while they were on the wrong end of a 2.30 to 0.14 expected goals margin in the contest. The Green Hornets were out of this one early as they faced a 3-0 deficit just 24 minutes into the match. That was the score at the half.
In the second half, Saudi Arabia played better defensively as they surrendered just one goal. What made it worse was the fact that it was an own goal, so technically, the Green Hornets beat themselves. Hassan Al-Tambakti was the dubious recipient of being credited for the own goal in the 49th minute. Abdullah Al-Hamdan had the lone shot on goal in the 81st minute though it wasn’t a serious scoring threat. Mohamed Al Owais projects between the sticks for the Green Hornets in this match. He has a record of one win, one draw and four losses in his six World Cup appearances with no clean sheets.
Cape Verde Trying to Earn Another Surprise
Cape Verde in the World Cup
In 2026, Cape Verde now makes their first appearance in the World Cup here. They represent as the second-smallest country by both population and land mass, larger than just Curaçao. Cape Verde enters this match third in the group with a record of no wins, two draws and no losses. They stunned Spain with a scoreless draw in their group play opener before drawing with Uruguay. Cape Verde clinches a spot in the round of 32 with a win and has a shot with a draw. The Tubarões Azuis enter the World Cup ranked 67th in the FIFA rankings.
Cape Verde Last Match
Against Uruguay, Cape Verde got their offense going but they wound up with a draw in a highly entertaining match. The Tubarões Azuis lost possession by a near two-to-one margin in the contest. Cape Verde lost in terms of expected goals by a 2.32 to 0.89 margin though they owned a 4-2 advantage in shots on goal in the match. In the first half, Kevin Pina gave Cape Verde a 1-0 advantage with a goal off a free kick in the 21st minute. The Tubarões Azuis seemed poised to take that lead to the half but were stung by a pair of late goals to trail 2-1 at halftime.
In the second half, Cape Verde turned up their offensive pressure and it paid dividends. Hélio Varela knotted the score with his goal in the 61st minute shortly after coming in as a substitute. The Tubarões Azuis narrowly missed a chance to go ahead in the 63rd minute. They then withstood a Uruguay goal that was overturned by VAR. Cape Verde nearly found the winner three separate times in stoppage time but came up empty. Vozinha, who turned 40 earlier this month, projects as the starting goalkeeper for Cape Verde. This marks his second World Cup match. He has a record of no wins, two draws and no losses in World Cup play. Vozinha has a clean sheet on the ledger as well.
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Cape Verde has some concerns as far as depth goes here. Sidny Lopes Cabral is suspended while Telmo Arcanjo and Borges Cabral are doubtful. However, the fact remains that they aren’t overwhelmed by the spotlight. Saudi Arabia needs a win to have a shot at advancing to the round of 32. Their problem is that they haven’t done much in the way of damage offensively. The Green Hornets own a -4 goal differential and took a beating at the hands of Spain. Meanwhile, Cape Verde held their own again Spain and can stun the soccer world by reaching the knockout round. Look for the Tubarões Azuis to earn a win here and advance.
Our Prediction: Cape Verde ML (FanDuel, +165)
We’re not expecting a ton of fireworks when it comes to generating offense here. Cape Verde has two goals on the books in their two group play matches. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has just a single goal on the ledger in their two matches. The Green Hornets have to push the pace and earn a win to try and advance in this match. This is a match where goals are likely at a premium. The safer play is to take the under in this contest as one goal may be enough to win it.
Our Prediction: Under 2.5 Goals (DraftKings, -135)
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