“The World Cup has its first big surprise result after Spain were held by debutants Cape Verde in their Group H opener. Luis de la Fuente’s side might be many people’s pre-tournament picks for the trophy, but they struggled in front of goal against inspired opponents — who are 61 places below them in FIFA’s rankings. Dermot Corrigan, Felipe Cardenas, Anantaajith Raghuraman and Emily Giambalvo break down the game’s talking points. …”
NYT/ATH (Video)

Spain held to shock draw by Cape Verde in their World Cup opener
“Lamine Yamal was left on the bench as the Barcelona superstar is eased back to fitness after nearly two months out with a hamstring injury, and even his appearance as a second-half substitute failed to break down Cape Verde’s dogged defence. Since winning the World Cup for the first time in 2010, Spain have not won a knockout game, and their inability to make dominance of possession count was reminiscent of their meek exits in 2018 and 2022. …”
Aljazeera
Guardian: Cape Verde shock Spain with historic draw on World Cup debut
YouTube: Spain vs Cape Verde Highlights 🌎🏆 2026 FIFA World Cup, Cape Verde’s 40-YEAR-OLD Goalkeeper Vozinha SHUTS OUT Spain with 7 Saves 🤯 2026 FIFA World Cup