Group H opened with tournament favourites Spain taking on newcomers Cape Verde at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, USA. After Germany's 7-1 thrashing of fellow debutants Curacao the night before, many assumed La Roja would pull off a similar result tonight. However, the Spaniards struggled to break down Cape Verde's defence and were prevented from scoring in their opening match. 

Cape Verde made their World Cup debut and came into the match with incredibly unfavourable odds. Despite this, the Blue Sharks were full of confidence and defended well, frustrating Spain and winning their first point on the biggest stage against the European Champions.

Spain dominated possession throughout the match, with Cape Verde rarely finding themselves crossing the halfway line. However, Luis de la Fuente's side started slow. With no Nico Williams or Lamine Yamal in the starting lineup, de la Fuente opted to deploy Gavi and Ferran Torres on either side, which gave Spain a lack of width and speed in attack, making it difficult to create chances.

The chances inevitably started to come for Spain as the half went on, but multiple efforts were denied by Cape Verde's veteran goalkeeper Vozinha. Brave defending from Pico Lopes also prevented a golden opportunity for Mikel Oyarzabal after an inviting cross into the box by Pedri, with the central defender winning a vital header before Oyarzabal could get there.

Marc Cucurella began to find spaces as he attacked down Spain's left-hand side and nearly got an assist for Ferran Torres who hit the crossbar in the 39th minute before Oyarzabal had a header tipped over the bar by Vozinha again. The chances began to come more often towards the end of the first half, but Cape Verde managed to hold on and went into the break level.

The second half began in a similar way, with Cape Verde sitting deep and trying to counterattack when the opportunities arose. The lack of quality was evident in these scenarios but the Blue Sharks were finding themselves in promising positions due to Spain's high line.

Spain continued to keep the ball and Pedri looked the most dangerous threat to Bubista's men. De la Fuente's side seemed to press with more intensity after the break and began to win back possession high up the pitch when Cape Verde tried to play out from the back. 

Spain's frustration began to grow as the clock ran down, with more long shots being taken and mistakes creeping in. This is when de la Fuente decided to make a change in the hope of changing the course of the match.

Lamine Yamal made his World Cup debut in the second half after the hydration break, coming on in the 71st minute alongside Arsenal’s Mikel Merino, replacing Fabian Ruiz and Gavi. Spain’s attack changed after de la Fuente unleashed Yamal, giving them more pace and unpredictability out wide. Cape Verde tried to mark him out of the game, but despite his age, he was the man the team looked to for inspiration.

Cape Verde continued to defend with everything they could in search of a valuable point but struggled to retain possession. Another chance fell for Oyarzabal in the 88th minute but it was Pico who was there to stop him again. Spain threw everything at them in the final few minutes but the Blue Sharks were determined not to yield and even had a chance to win the game in injury time when Diney Borges' header was saved by Unai Simon.

Despite the efforts from both teams, the game ended in a goalless draw. Spain will be disappointed with the scoreline, but Cape Verde will celebrate tremendously after earning their first World Cup point in their best ever result.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has already seen some big shocks, but Cape Verde's draw against Spain is perhaps the most spectacular yet. The country with a population of just over 500,000 made their first appearance at the tournament against the favourites, Spain, and defied the odds by denying La Roja a goal.

National hero Bubista led his team through a fantastic qualifying campaign and continued this form on the big stage. His team defended impeccably and showed glimpses of promise in attack. 

Pico Lopes and Vozinha were the standout performers for the Blue Sharks, with Pico blocking two big chances to deny Real Sociedad's Mikel Oyarzabal. Vozinha was called into action a number of times, especially in the first half, and rose to the occasion each time. The 40-year-old made some huge saves to earn his clean sheet and showed bravery and confidence when claiming crosses, relieving pressure on his teammates. 

The 0-0 draw is without a doubt Cape Verde's best ever result and the fans shared a special moment at the full time whistle which crowned an unbelievable achievement for the nation.

It was no surprise to see the Spaniards keep the ball well, with the game being played predominantly in the Cape Verdean half. Spain still created chances but the determination of Cape Verde's defence proved too strong for them.

De la Fuente chose not to risk either of Lamine Yamal or Nico Williams from the start, but called upon the 18-year-old in the 71st minute. Yamal looked lively when he came on, but it was not enough for La Roja, who ended the game disappointingly. 

Spain would have hoped to make a statement in their Group H opener so a 0-0 draw will be a concern. In possession, Spain looked comfortable but lacked imagination in attacking areas. A lack of natural width was evident so they will be hoping to have Yamal and Williams in from the start next time out against Saudi Arabia.

Cape Verde did not cause La Roja many issues in defence, it is just the final third where improvements need to be made. It is far too early to write the Spaniards off, with only one game down, but this result changes Group H entirely.

This result has come as a huge shock to everyone and has opened up Group H completely. Depending on the result between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay tonight, Spain could find themselves in a difficult position, but equally, Cape Verde's optimism could grow significantly.

With third place being given a chance to potentially qualify for the knockout stage, Cape Verde will take lots of confidence and belief into their remaining group matches, with the aim of advancing.

From Spain's point of view, the match against Saudi Arabia is now a must-win match, with more at stake than they would have initially expected. La Roja will still be huge favourites going into the match but have shown signs of struggle when facing a defensive side, which Saudi Arabia will look to capitalise on.