Monday delivered a day unlike any other at the2026 World Cup, as four matches across Group G and Group H all ended in draws, an outcome so rare that it had not happened on a single World Cup matchday in 68 years.

Cape Verde 0-0 Spain: The Shock of the Tournament

The headline result of the day came from Group H, where Cape Verde produced one of the great defensive performances of the tournament so far. The smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup held European champions Spain to a goalless draw thanks to a sensational rearguard effort.

The result came despite a heavily one sided match.Spainhad 27 shots without scoring, tied for their most shots without finding the net in a World Cup game since 1966, and Mikel Oyarzabal became the first player on record since 1966 to play the first 30 minutes of a World Cup match without touching the ball once. The draw also extended Spain’s winless run in World Cups to four games, tying their longest such run in tournament history.

There were individual milestones too. Lamine Yamal became the youngest European player to appear at two major tournaments, at 18 years and 337 days old, while teammate Gavi became just the sixth player to appear at two different World Cups by age 21, joining a list that includes Pele. On the other side, Cape Verde fielded the oldest starting lineup at this year’s tournament so far, with an average age of 31 years and 26 days.

Belgium 1-1 Egypt and Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay

The draws continued throughout the day. Belgium and Egypt played out a 1-1 result, as did Saudi Arabia and Uruguay.Saudi Arabiatook the lead through Abdulelah Al Amri in the 41st minute, before Maxi Araujo rescued a point for Uruguay with a goal in the 80th minute, denying the Saudis what would have been another famous World Cup win.

Iran 2-2 New Zealand: The Best Game of the Day

The final match of the day proved to be its best, as Iran and New Zealand played out a thoroughly entertaining 2-2 draw in Los Angeles. Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi scored for Iran, while Elijah Just netted a brace for New Zealand.

A Day for the History Books

With four draws across the day’s four matches, June 15 marked the first time since 1958 that an entire day of World Cupfixturesended without a single winner, and remarkably, that 1958 instance also fell on June 15.

For a tournament already producing its share of surprises, Monday’s results were a reminder that at the World Cup, even the smallest nations can hold their own against the very best in the world.

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