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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JUNE 14: Luis de la Fuente Castillo, Head Coach of Spain speaks to the media during a press conference one day ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Spain and Cabo Verde at Atlanta Stadium on June 14, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
Perhaps the biggest storyline of the 2026 FIFA World Cup thus far is the historic draw that took place between Spain and Cape Verde on Monday afternoon. Spain entered the World Cup tournament as the co-favorites, and as a nearly -2000 favorite to beat Cape Verde in their first group play game, the Spain National Team drew with Cape Verde.
It was Cape Verde’s World Cup debut, and they became the first team in a very long to NOT lose their debut game in the biggest tournament across the world. Among the historic feat, Cape Verde GoalKeepers Vozinha gained four million followers on Instagram after keeping the Spaniards from scoring in nearly 97 minutes of play.
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Spain Manager Luis de la Fuente Rips Cape Verde
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – JUNE 15: Luis de la Fuente, Head Coach of Spain, looks on before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Spain and Cabo Verde at Atlanta Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Following the first game for Spain in Group H of the World Cup, manager Luis de la Fuente was obviously not happy with his team, which was nearly a four-goal favorite in the game.
It makes sense why de la Fuente was upset, Spain dominated shot attempts, and were on the offensive attack for the entire match.
Per ESPN’s Alex Kirkland, de la Fuente ripped Cape Verde on Monday afternoon:
“In this World Cup there’s extreme equality and difficulty,” said Luis de la Fuente.
“This team was clearly inferior to us, but they did the things they had to do well. We have to keep growing. With the talent these players have, that’s the way. We’re calm. This is a long tournament, and in our heads we’ve still got seven games left.”
Bleacher Report’s Scott Polachek then wrote (on 6/15):
“Frankly, nobody is going to realistically argue with de la Fuente. Spain created the vast majority of the chances and ended up with 27 shots to Cape Verde’s six. While seven of those shots ended up on target, Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha was brilliant and turned them all away.”
More Heavy on Soccer: Spain vs Cape Verde Match Results Today: FIFA World Cup 2026 Live Score, Updates, Stats
Is it Time to Panic for Spain?
GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – JUNE 15: Vozinha #1 of Cabo Verde makes a save during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Spain and Cabo Verde at Atlanta Stadium on June 15, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Look, after an obvious clunker like their game against Cape Verde, it’s going to appear that the sky is falling for the Spaniards, but as de la Fuente mentions, it’s a long tournament, and Spain will still have a few games to get right in Group H.
They will face Saudi Arabia on Sunday, June 21, and then face Uruguay a couple of weeks from now to close out Group Play.
Plus, for what it’s worth, every team in Group H drew in their first game, which included a draw from Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, so, as bad a look as it is for Spain to draw in their first match, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future.
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TJ French covers the MLB for Heavy. TJ is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He has 2+ years of writing experience. Follow TJ French on X: @tj_french5 More about TJ French