Cape Verde stun Spain with goalless draw on World Cup debut

European champions Spain were held to a goalless draw by World Cup debutants Cape Verde at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on 15 June, a result that ranks among the biggest shocks of the tournament's opening round. A nation of just over 500,000 people resisted everything Luis de la Fuente's star-studded side could throw at them.

Total Spanish dominance, no reward

The numbers told the story of one-way traffic: Spain mustered 27 shots with seven on target and an expected-goals figure of 2.29, against Cape Verde's six shots and 0.3 xG. Ferran Torres rattled the crossbar and Mikel Oyarzabal saw a close-range header kept out, but the breakthrough never arrived.

Vozinha the hero

The star of the afternoon was 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who blocked, deflected and stonewalled the Spanish attack throughout a remarkable first-half rearguard. Cape Verde grew in belief as the game wore on, defending in numbers and breaking the lines of the favourites whenever they could.

For Spain it was a chastening start that piled pressure on De la Fuente ahead of their meeting with Saudi Arabia. For Cape Verde, a point against the European champions was a moment to savour and a statement that they intended to compete in Group H.