Cape Verde holds Spain to 0-0 draw in World Cup upset

Cape Verde, in their first-ever World Cup appearance, held Spain to a scoreless draw in Atlanta behind a standout performance from 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha.nytimes+1
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente kept star forward Lamine Yamal on the bench until the 70th minute, a decision widely questioned after the result.sports.yahoo+1
ESPN called it "the shock of the 2026 World Cup so far," with three more Day 5 matches still to come Monday in Seattle, Miami, and Los Angeles.espn+1

The 2026 FIFA World Cup continued to produce surprises on Monday as Cape Verde held Spain to a 0-0 draw in Atlanta, adding to a stretch of memorable results across the tournament's opening days. Three more matches were scheduled later Monday in Seattle, Miami, and Los Angeles to close out Day 5 of the expanded 48-team competition.

Cape Verde Makes History in Atlanta

Cape Verde, making their World Cup debut, pulled off one of the tournament's early upsets by frustrating Spain for 90 minutes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The European champions, widely considered among the favorites, struggled to break down a resolute defense marshaled by 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha. Spain coach Luis de la Fuente kept Lamine Yamal on the bench until the 70th minute, a decision that drew scrutiny after the scoreless result. ESPN described it as "the shock of the 2026 World Cup so far".nytimes+3

Opening Weekend's Standout Results

The match capped a run of dramatic outcomes since the tournament kicked off June 11 in Mexico City. On Sunday, Day 4 saw Germany dismantle World Cup debutants Curaçao 7-1 in Houston, while Japan's Daichi Kamada scored in the 88th minute to salvage a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in their Group F opener. Ivory Coast secured a last-gasp 1-0 win over Ecuador through a 90th-minute winner, and Sweden cruised past Tunisia 5-1 in Monterrey behind a brace from Yasin Ayari and contributions from Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres.sports.yahoo+1

Record Audiences and Monday's Remaining Matches

The tournament has already shattered American television records. Fox reported the U.S. men's 4-1 win over Paraguay on June 12 drew 15.99 million English-language viewers, the most-watched USMNT World Cup broadcast in history. The Mexico-South Africa opener attracted 6.3 million on Fox and 12.1 million on Telemundo Comcast Corporation , setting a record for a non-U.S. group-stage match. The combined U.S.-Paraguay audience reached 24.9 million across English and Spanish broadcasts.frontofficesports+1

Monday's remaining schedule featured Belgium against Egypt in Seattle at 3 p.m. ET, Saudi Arabia versus Uruguay in Miami at 6 p.m. ET, and Iran facing New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles at 9 p.m. ET. Iran's match carried particular political weight, as the Straits Times reported it was "shaped as much by events off the pitch as by the ambitions of two teams".espn+3

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