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Spain was unable to overcome Cape Verde and settled for a disappointing goalless draw this Monday at the , in their debut at the . The result, 0-0, is the most unexpected - so far - of the football competition.
La Roja arrived at the tournament as the European champion —a title won in the Euro 2024 under the leadership of Luis de la Fuente— and as one of the top favorites to win the championship. Opposing them was a Cape Verdean team competing in the first World Cup match in its history, qualifying thanks to the expansion of the tournament to 48 teams in this edition.
The Spanish dominance was overwhelming in the statistics: 74% possession compared to 26% for Cape Verde, 25 shots to five for the opponent, and seven attempts on goal to one. However, the numbers did not translate into goals against a well-organized African side, which chose to defend and look for counterattacks.
The first half was discreet for De la Fuente's team, with little depth in the final meters. The best chance of the match came in the 39th minute: after a cross from Marc Cucurella, one of the most active players offensively, Ferran Torres headed the ball, which then hit the crossbar, denying Spain the opportunity to open the scoring in the clearest play of the entire match.
Cabo Verde, managed by Bubista (Pedro Brito) since 2020, maintained its conservative approach throughout the 90 minutes. While this strategy allowed them to hold on for a draw, they also failed to create much danger: just one shot on goal and a single corner kick during the entire match.
In the second half, De la Fuente made substitutions in search of solutions. At the 71st minute, Fabián Ruiz and Gavi came on; at the 81st, Ferrán Torres replaced a teammate in attack; and at the 87th, Rodri added minutes. Lamine Yamal, the young talent from Barcelona, also participated, bringing dynamism and imbalance in several moments of the match, but his contributions were not enough to break the African resistance.
Cabo Verde, for its part, made three simultaneous substitutions in the 61st minute —J. Cabral, D. Livramento, and L. Duarte—and continued to make substitutions until the end to manage physical fatigue.
In terms of discipline, the afternoon was calm: a yellow card was issued to S. Lopes Cabral (Cabo Verde) in the 16th minute and to Pedri (Spain) in the 90th minute, the only cautions of the match.
The result is historic for Cape Verde, which scores its first point in a World Cup in its absolute debut at the pinnacle of international football. The African team had secured its qualification in October 2025 with a 3-0 victory over Eswatini, leading Group D in Africa with 23 points from 10 matches.
For Spain, the debut raises questions in a Group H that also includes Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, opponents against whom La Roja must perform well if they want to advance with authority. De la Fuente's squad, announced on May 25 with eight players from FC Barcelona and none from Real Madrid, includes 16 champions from Euro 2024.
After the first day, Spain and Cape Verde are provisionally tied for the lead in the group, each with one point. The match between Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, scheduled for 7:00 PM in Miami, will conclude the first day and determine the initial outlook of the group. Spain's next match will be against Saudi Arabia on June 21.
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