Spain’s goalless draw exposes a familiar problem in World Cup opener

Spain, one of the favorites to win the 2026 World Cup and the reigning European champion, were held to a surprising 0-0 draw with Cape Verde on Monday. The result was described as the biggest upset of the tournament so far, and Spain drew criticism for a style of play that looked sterile despite overwhelming control.

Luis de la Fuente’s side had 74% possession and completed 734 passes at a 92% success rate, but created few meaningful chances. Spain finished with just six successful dribbles, only 24 long balls, and 27 shots overall, with 12 from outside the box. Their most dangerous open-play chance came in the 83rd minute and carried only 0.22 expected goals. The best opportunity overall came from Aymeric Laporte’s header on a corner.

Pedri led Spain with five key passes and was one of the few players trying to break lines, but much of his passing went sideways or wide. Mikel Oyarzabal, who started at center forward, did not touch the ball until the 30th minute. Spain were also reluctant to cross, partly because of Cape Verde’s tall center backs, and there was little off-ball movement into the area. Dani Olmo and Mikel Merino, both known for arriving into the box, were introduced too late to change the game.

In Spain, Marca wrote that the team had “run out of ideas,” calling it a “predictable” and “disastrous” start that left the side “without any clear direction.” Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams were not fully fit and came on only in the 71st and 87th minutes, respectively, but the article argued Spain still had more decisive options on the bench, such as Álex Baena and Víctor Muñoz. Spain will face Saudi Arabia next Sunday, and the piece noted that a setback in the opener could yet serve as a wake-up call, as it did for Argentina in 2022 after its opening loss to Saudi Arabia.