Spain held 0-0 by Cape Verde in Group H opener

Spain failed to open the 2026 World Cup with a win after being held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in their Group H opener at Atlanta Stadium in the United States on Monday (15/6). La Roja controlled nearly 80 percent of possession and pressed throughout, but could not break down a compact defense. Spain’s best chance came from Ferran Torres, who hit the crossbar in the first half, followed by a Mikel Oyarzabal header and an Aymeric Laporte effort that Vozinha turned away. In the second half, Luis de la Fuente brought on Lamine Yamal in the 71st minute to add more attacking threat. Yamal helped spark the offense, but chances for Mikel Merino, Marc Cucurella and Oyarzabal also went unused. For Cape Verde, the draw in their World Cup debut was a major surprise after they managed to stifle one of the title contenders.