Spain held to 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in World Cup opener

European champion Spain was held to a surprising 0-0 draw by World Cup debutant Cape Verde in their opening Group H match on Monday, June 15. The result at Atlanta Stadium saw the heavily favored Spaniards dominate possession and chances but fail to score against a disciplined and resilient defensive performance from the African side.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente acknowledged his team's lack of sharpness but expressed no doubt about their overall quality, pointing to a more than 30-match unbeaten run that includes winning the 2024 European Championship. "A team that is on a more than 30-match unbeaten run can't have any doubts," de la Fuente said. He added that the solution was to stick with the same approach and keep improving. The coach admitted Spain "lacked movement and freshness" and said that despite creating numerous scoring opportunities, the ball simply would not go in.

Cape Verde, ranked 64th in the world, executed a deep defensive block and relied on exceptional goalkeeping from 40-year-old Vozinha, who made seven saves to secure the historic point. Spain finished the match with 27 shots without scoring, equaling their joint-highest number of attempts in a World...