Spain won't panic yet about Cape Verde draw, but t...

Article excerpt

Spain drew 0, 0 with Cape Verde in their opening World Cup qualifier, a result that stunned observers given the vast gulf in the teams' resources and rankings. The Spanish have a well-documented pattern of stumbling early in tournament play before rallying, but this particular stalemate against a minnow caught even the Spanish federation off guard. With Lamine Yamal and other attacking talent on the pitch, Spain's failure to break down Cape Verde's defense raised questions about their preparation and focus heading into 2026.