Reigning European champions Spain national football team are set to kick off their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in style as they take on tournament debutants Cape Verde national football team in Atlanta, Georgia.
With Group H also featuring Saudi Arabia national football team and Uruguay national football team, this opening clash offers Spain the perfect chance to make an early statement.
Fresh from their triumph at UEFA Euro 2024, where they defeated England national football team 2-1 in the final, Spain arrive in the United States carrying both confidence and expectation. Under manager Luis de la Fuente, La Roja have become one of the most consistent sides in world football once again.
Ranked second in the world, Spain cruised through qualification with five wins from six matches and are now unbeaten in their last 31 competitive games — their longest ever run without defeat outside of friendlies. Since their loss to Scotland national football team in March 2023, they have won 25 times, showing just how dominant they have become.
Their attacking numbers tell the same story. Spain averaged an impressive 9.7 shots on target per 90 minutes during qualification, the highest of any nation heading into this tournament.
The Opta supercomputer strongly backs Spain to start with victory, giving them an 87.2% chance of winning this Group H opener. That reflects both their recent form and the gap in experience between the two sides.
For Cape Verde, however, this is a historic occasion.
The Blue Sharks are one of four nations making their World Cup debut, alongside Curaçao national football team, Jordan national football team, and Uzbekistan national football team. They became the 14th African nation to ever qualify for the tournament after finishing ahead of Cameroon national football team in CAF qualifying.
Coached by Bubista, Cape Verde have steadily grown into one of Africa’s most competitive underdogs. They’ve reached the knockout stages in three of their four Africa Cup of Nations appearances, including a quarter-final run in 2023.
Their qualifying form was solid too, winning six of seven matches, while recent friendlies saw them beat both Serbia national football team and Bermuda national football team 3-0.
Much of their attacking threat will come from Dailon Livramento, who scored four goals in his last five World Cup qualifiers, including the winner against Cameroon. Experienced winger Ryan Mendes will also be key, bringing leadership and experience to the side.
Head-to-Head
This will be the first-ever meeting between Spain and Cape Verde, making it a historic encounter for both nations.
Interestingly, the only African side to have beaten Spain at a World Cup remains Nigeria national football team, who defeated them 3-2 back in 1998.
Spain’s most recent World Cup meetings against African opposition came against Morocco national football team — drawing 2-2 in 2018 before being eliminated on penalties in 2022.
Prediction
On paper, Spain are overwhelming favourites, and the numbers back that up.
From 25,000 simulations, Opta gives Spain an 87.2% chance of victory, while the draw stands at 8.1% and a Cape Verde upset is rated at just 4.8%.
Still, World Cups often produce surprises, and Cape Verde have already shown they can upset bigger nations. But for Spain, anything less than three points would be seen as a major disappointment.
With their current form, squad depth, and winning mentality, La Roja look well-positioned to begin their quest for a second World Cup title with a strong performance.
