Oyarzabal posts a World Cup first as Spain struggle in opener

Spain entered the 2026 World Cup as one of the favorites to win the title and expected a one-sided opening match against Cape Verde. Instead, the European champions reached halftime at 0-0 after a surprisingly poor first half, even though they fielded many of their biggest names.

One of the players singled out as a key figure for the tournament was Real Sociedad forward Mikel Oyarzabal, who started up front for Spain. During the flat first half, he produced an extraordinary stat line, according to OptaJoe, he did not touch the ball once in the first 30 minutes.

OptaJoe said that Oyarzabal became the first player since tracking began in 1966 to start a World Cup match and fail to make a single touch in the opening 30 minutes. Spain did start without Lamine Yamal, but the article said that was not enough to explain the lack of rhythm and penetration.

Commentator Raphael Oliveira summed up the half by saying that without dribbling wingers and with Oyarzabal barely involved, Spain played a slow, weak first half in possession. He added that the only player offering depth was Marc Cucurella. The piece was published by Sports 5 on June 15, 2026, at 20:00.