Cape Verde produced the first major upset of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the debutants held reigning European champions and tournament favourites Spain to a goalless draw at the Atalanta Stadium.
Goalkeeper Vozinha was undoubtedly the man of the match as the 40-year-old made crucial saves, especially in the first half, including attempts by Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres and Aymeric Laporte to keep the match at bay at halftime.
The Cape Verdeans did not lose their defensive compactness on resumption of the second half and Spain couldn’t break through despite the late introduction of Lamine Yamal, who started the game from the bench.
Cape Verde’s first shot on target came in added time when Diney Borges attempted to beat Unai Simon with a header from a corner kick but the goalkeeper comfortably saved it.
It was a historic result for the West African country as the draw gave Cape Verde their first-ever FIFA World Cup point.
Cape Verde will have a great chance of progressing to the round of 32 if they either draw or defeat Uruguay or Saudi Arabia in their remaining Group H matches.
Discussion about this post