17 June,2026 09:36 AM IST | Atlanta, United States | AFP
Luis de la Fuente. Pic/AFP
Spain boss Luis de la Fuente said he is still convinced La Roja will go far at the World Cup despite failing to break down debutants Cape Verde in a 0-0 draw to open their tournament.
The European champions badly missed the spark of Lamine Yamal, who was deemed only fit enough for a second-half cameo on his return from injury, as they struggled to even create chances.
"We are completely calm, convinced that there is a long way to go. As we see it, we have seven games left," said De la Fuente. "We lacked freshness and precision."
But the performance brought back painful memories of their meek exits to Russia and Morocco on penalties at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups where they dominated possession but failed to score.
65
Difference between Spain (2) and Cape Verde's (67) position in the FIFA rankings before the match - the most for a World Cup match not ending in a win for the higher-ranked side
Three
No. of times Spain have won their opening game at a World Cup in their last 15 appearances, having lost seven and drawn five times
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