Luar Bisa, Tanjung Verde Successfully Hold Spain

JAKARTA - The Spanish national team failed to win in the first match of Group H of the 2026 World Cup after being held to a goalless draw by Cape Verde at the Atlanta Stadium, Monday (15/6).

Even though they were dominant and continued to attack throughout the match, La Furia Roja was unable to penetrate the solid defense of Cape Verde.

This result makes the competition in Group H of the 2026 World Cup still open. Spain must immediately improve the effectiveness of their attacking line, while Cape Verde gained confidence after being able to hold off one of the world champions.

From the very first minute, as reported by Antara, Spain immediately took control of the match with a ball possession of almost 80 percent. However, the tight defensive strategy applied by Cape Verde made Luis de la Fuente's troops difficult to create space in the dangerous area.

Spain's first chance came in the 13th minute through a cross from Pedri that was almost greeted by their forward, who could still be swept away by the Tanjung Verde defender, Pico Lopes.

The Matador team again threatened in the 30th minute through Marc Cucurella's volley, but the ball still bounced over the crossbar.

The more defensive Tanjung Verde occasionally tried to launch counterattacks. One of the opportunities came in the 37th minute when Dailon Livramento tried to take a long shot after taking advantage of Rodri's mistake, but the ball was still far from the target.

Towards the end of the first half, Spain increased the pressure. Ferran Torres almost opened the lead in the 41st minute, but his shot from close range only hit the crossbar.

The rebound ball was then greeted by Mikel Oyarzabal's header. However, it was able to be thwarted with Vozinha's brilliant save.

The Tanjung Verde goalkeeper was back to save his team before halftime. Vozinha thwarted Torres and Aymeric Laporte's chances in two consecutive opportunities so that the score remained 0-0 until the first half ended.

Entering the second half, Spain continued to dominate the game and continued to look for a gap to score. Fabian Ruiz's header in the 58th minute was still not strong enough to defeat Vozinha.

Luis de la Fuente then brought in young star, Lamine Yamal in the 71st minute to add to the attacking power.

Yamal immediately had an impact by creating a number of opportunities, including opening up space for Mikel Merino whose shot was still secured by Vozinha.

Cucurella also got a golden opportunity through a close header, but the 42-year-old goalkeeper again showed incredible reflexes to keep his goal sterile.

Spain continued to press until the final minute. The best opportunity came in the 89th minute when Dani Olmo gave a pass to Oyarzabal. However, the striker's shot was heroically blocked by Pico Lopes right in front of the goal.

Until the final whistle was blown, Spain's dominance was unable to produce a goal. Tanjung Verde managed to steal a valuable point thanks to disciplined defense and Vozinha's extraordinary performance.

The line-up:

Spain: Unai Simon; Marcos Llorente, Pau Cubarsi, Aymreic Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Pedri, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz; Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal, Gavi.

Cape Verde: Vozinha; Steven Moreira, Pico Lopes, Diney Borges, Jovane Cabral; Kevin Pina, Laros Duarte; Ryan Mendes, Jamiro Monteiro, Sidny Cabral; Dailon Livramento.