Cape Verde’s Historic World Cup Performance Against Spain

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Cape Verde is a small island nation off Africa’s coast, boasting a population slightly over 524,800. This community experienced a proud moment after their national soccer team’s unexpected World Cup performance against Spain.

Spain, a top contender expected to win the World Cup, only managed to secure one point in their match with Cape Verde. This resulted in a surprising 0-0 draw on Monday, marking one of the tournament’s significant surprises.

Cape Verde players celebrate following the World Cup Group H soccer match against Spain in Atlanta on June 15, 2026. (Mike Stewart/AP)

The highlight of Cape Verde’s defense was their veteran 40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha, who successfully thwarted Spain’s numerous attacks in the first half. Despite Spain’s seven shots on goal compared to Cape Verde’s single attempt, they couldn’t score.

Mikel Oyarzabal was Spain’s primary shooter, attempting five of the shots. Even Spanish star Lamine Yamal, who began the game on the bench, was unable to score against Cape Verde.

Both teams earned one point from this Group H encounter. Spain now faces a challenging path as they wait for the Saudi Arabia-Uruguay match result later on Monday.

Cape Verde’s Dailon Livramento and Sidny Lopes Cabral celebrate post-match in Atlanta on June 15, 2026. (Erik S. Lesser/AP)

This tournament marks Cape Verde’s inaugural World Cup appearance. Initially part of Portugal when the World Cup began, Cape Verde joined FIFA much later. They started competing for World Cup qualification in 2002 but succeeded only this year when the tournament field expanded to include 48 teams.

Currently, Cape Verde is ranked 67th among FIFA members. Meanwhile, Spain, who won the World Cup in 2010 in South Africa, only advanced to the round of 16 in the past two tournaments.