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The World Cup has its first major surprise result as Spain were held to a 0-0 draw by tournament debutants Cape Verde in their Group H opener.
Luis de la Fuente's side, considered by many as pre-tournament favorites, struggled to break down an inspired opponent ranked 61 places below them in FIFA's world rankings.
Dermot Corrigan, Felipe Cardenas, and Anantaajith Raghuraman break down the game's key talking points.
It lacked the drama of Senegal 1-0 France in 2002, when the Africans stunned the reigning world champions. It certainly wasn't a giant-killing like North Korea's defeat of Italy in 1966. Even Saudi Arabia's stunning 2-1 victory over Argentina four years ago had a greater global impact.
But a 0-0 draw and a first World Cup point for Cape Verde will be remembered for years. More importantly, it will be celebrated across Cape Verde well into the night.
But it's worth remembering that Cape Verde topped their African qualifying group, which included victories over Cameroon, Angola, and Libya. Moreover, they remained unbeaten at home.
The World Cup is a different beast, but the debutants showed no fear against the European champions—quite the opposite.
Cape Verde were organized defensively in a traditional back five, occasionally reinforced by a midfielder to form a six-man wall. With Lamine Yamal only fit enough for the bench, Spain lacked a cutting edge in one-on-one situations.
Cape Verde were also buoyed by the performance of experienced goalkeeper Vozinha.
All of that, combined with a desire and passion to represent their country on the global stage, resulted in a more than respectable showing for a nation with a population of approximately 530,000.
After Germany dismantled Curacao 7-1 and Sweden blew away Tunisia 5-1 on the previous matchday, Cape Verde has given its fans—and many neutrals—an unforgettable World Cup moment.
Felipe Cardenas
Spain's openers at recent World Cups have been dramatic: a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands in 2014, an exciting 3-3 draw with Portugal in 2018, and a 7-0 thrashing of Costa Rica four years ago in Qatar. Even in 2010, when they won the trophy, they started unexpectedly with a 1-0 loss to Switzerland.
This year's game had a dramatic finale but a less than thrilling start. De la Fuente's side dominated possession from the off, but their first shot on target came after 20 minutes, with Pedri's long-range effort not truly testing Vozinha.
As the game progressed, Spain found some joy when new Real Madrid signing Marc Cucurella overlapped from left-back, leading to a chance that Ferran Torres smashed off the crossbar just before halftime.
Meanwhile, their two wide-attacking stars from Euro 2024 were on the bench, with Yamal and Nico Williams both less than 100 percent fit after recent muscle injuries.
Cheers erupted from the stadium when 18-year-old Yamal went out to warm up just after halftime, and it was surprising that De la Fuente waited so long to make substitutions with the game still 0-0.
Yamal had not played for club or country since picking up a muscle problem with Barcelona on April 22, but De la Fuente decided the risk was worth it in the 71st minute. He almost immediately sprinted past his marker, creating space that led to a half-chance for fellow substitute Mikel Merino of Arsenal, but Cape Verde remained comfortable in defense. Williams was introduced in the 87th minute.
The result raises uncomfortable memories of Spain's last two World Cup exits—they went out in the last 16 to hosts Russia in 2018 and Morocco in 2022—after similar games where they dominated possession but couldn't score. By contrast, Yamal and Williams' direct running and dribbling were key to their European Championship victory just two years ago.
But there is no need to panic yet, with six days until game two against Saudi Arabia, and another six before Uruguay in game three. Still, it was clear that Spain urgently needs Yamal—and Williams—back fully fit and firing.
Dermot Corrigan
Cape Verde were dynamic out of possession. They pressed in a 4-3-3 when Spain had the ball in their own half, shifted into a 4-5-1 mid-block when Spain brought it to midfield, and dropped into a 5-4-1 protecting their box when Spain entered the final third. When they won the ball back, they didn't just hoof it forward; they used quick passes to release pace in wide areas and upfront.
Spain's only reliable strategy involved wide combinations, with Fabian and Pedri working in tandem with wingers and full-backs. It led to a few promising openings, particularly when they found runs in behind on the left flank. Cucurella set up Torres for the best chance of the game, but he hit the crossbar. Pedri set up a similar high-quality opportunity from the left for Fabian, whose header was easy for the impressive Vozinha.
Yamal's introduction in the 71st minute for Gavi brought optimism, and within seconds he accelerated past two players. A minute later, he drew defenders to help Marcos Llorente set up Merino, who shot straight at Vozinha. Near the end, a 'trivela' pass into Dani Olmo helped create an opening for Mikel Oyarzabal, whose shot was deflected behind.
But similar to their 0-0 draw with Egypt in a home friendly in March—and in an unsavory callback to previous World Cups—De la Fuente's side, without Yamal and Williams from the start, were frustrated by a resolute, organized defense.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
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