A failed approach and lack of reading from the bench
Future in the group and room for improvement
Luis Enrique’s Spain in Qatar or Del Bosque’s in Brazil. The national team’s first match in the 2026 World Cup left the same bad taste as the last outings of La Roja in these tournaments. Few goals, little football, and a game plan completely wrong (or different) from what was expected of the European champion.
Spain put Cape Verde on the map to the extent that, amid harsh criticism from foreign media about the 0-0 draw, Germany attacked both countries by claiming that Spain was unable to score against a “team of islands.” And so it happened, because goalkeeper Vozinha went from just over 300,000 followers on Instagram to more than 2.5 million due to his excellent saves and the invaluable help of the posts and Ferran’s lack of finishing.
Cape Verde’s Vozinha in action while making a save – IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Brett Davis
A failed approach and lack of reading from the bench
De la Fuente designed a match that never happened. Gavi stationed on one wing and Rodri in midfield are, for now, a hindrance to a team that needs to move the ball quickly. There was no breakthrough because Lamine Yamal did not appear until the 75th minute, and Nico Williams will not reach form despite expectations. After the 0-0, Simón commented that they had managed to stop Cape Verde and warned about how dangerous they were in attack. The game shown on television was another story in which Cape Verde sat back and barely managed three decent passes in the final third.
Marc Cucurella, from Spain, in action against Ryan Mendes, from Cape Verde – REUTERS/ BERNADETT SZABO
The national team played a match that was not on the cards, and De la Fuente took too long to realize that Cape Verde did not want to play football to avoid conceding seven goals as happened with Curaçao the previous day. Not seven, nor one. Oyarzabal took 30 minutes to touch the ball and set a historic record for inefficiency in a World Cup.
That imaginary match experienced by the players and the coach continued after the final whistle. A giant sign with the number 31 will be present in the Spain dressing room at their Chattanooga headquarters throughout this week. These are the matches the national team remains undefeated in, something De la Fuente boasted about while the world was stunned by the 0-0 between the European champions and the Cape Verde archipelago.
Diney Borges, from Cape Verde, shoots on goal – REUTERS/ BERNADETT SZABO
Future in the group and room for improvement
Improvement is the only option. Three teams qualify from each group. These two ideas are firmly engraved in the minds of the Spanish fans, who took to the streets wearing the red jersey (and many more with white) to watch the first disaster of the 2026 World Cup. There remains Saudi Arabia on Sunday at 18:00 and Uruguay on Saturday the 27th at 2 a.m. Qualification is not at risk, but everything changes if the rival is Argentina due to a poor group stage.
So far, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia drew 1-1, leaving the group very open for the next two matches, for which a different Spain is expected, where De la Fuente will put players on the field who are physically prepared to endure 90 minutes without gasping for breath. Favors cannot be relied upon in a World Cup.