MUNDIAL·26

First Stage · Group H · Monday, June 15 · Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta · 67,640 in the stands

kickoff 12:00 local · 26°C · 59% humidity · roofed stadium

Spain

0:0

Cabo Verde

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Spain4-3-3
Cabo Verde4-1-4-1
Unai SIMON7.2Marcos LLORENTE7.4Aymeric LAPORTE7.4Pau CUBARSI7.3Marc CUCURELLA7.4Fabian RUIZ6.8GAVI6.2RODRI7.3PEDRI7.5Ferran TORRES6.3Mikel OYARZABAL6.8VOZINHA9.0DINEY BORGES7.7PICO LOPES7.8SIDNY LOPES CABRAL6.9STEVEN MOREIRA7.1KEVIN PINA5.9JOVANE CABRAL6.7JAMIRO MONTEIRO6.9LAROS DUARTE6.5DAILON LIVRAMENTO6.4RYAN MENDES6.5
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′ESPCPV

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • quiet five minutes — nothing on record
ESP 0:0 CPV0'kickoff
15' Pedri — xG 0.04 · Saved19' Ruiz — xG 0.02 · Missed20' Cubarsí — xG 0.03 · Blocked27' Moreira — xG 0.01 · Blocked29' Gavi — xG 0.05 · Blocked29' Cucurella — xG 0.01 · Missed35' Livramento — xG 0.01 · Missed38' J. Cabral — xG 0.01 · Missed39' Torres — xG 0.30 · Post39' Oyarzabal — xG 0.08 · Saved40' Torres — xG 0.19 · Blocked41' Ruiz — xG 0.01 · Missed45' Torres — xG 0.08 · Saved45 + 2' Laporte — xG 0.05 · Saved45 + 3' Rodri — xG 0.09 · Blocked48' Oyarzabal — xG 0.09 · Missed48' Ruiz — xG 0.02 · Missed45 + 4' Oyarzabal — xG 0.15 · Missed51' Ruiz — xG 0.08 · Missed56' Ruiz — xG 0.19 · Saved58' Laporte — xG 0.03 · Missed73' Merino — xG 0.10 · Saved75' Torres — xG 0.08 · Blocked78' Pedri — xG 0.06 · Blocked83' Cucurella — xG 0.11 · Saved85' Rodri — xG 0.02 · Missed88' Oyarzabal — xG 0.09 · Blocked90' Lenini — xG 0.02 · Blocked90 + 1' Borges — xG 0.13 · Saved90 + 2' Yamal — xG 0.02 · Blocked90 + 4' R. Mendes — xG 0.02 · Missed90 + 5' Yamal — xG 0.02 · Missed90 + 5' Oyarzabal — xG 0.10 · Missed

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

ESP 0:0 CPV
1.02.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′2.110.20

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

ESP 4-3-3 attack →, ← CPV 4-1-4-1 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

23Unai SIMONUnai SIMON5Marcos LLORENTEMarcos LLORENTE14Aymeric LAPORTEAymeric LAPORTE22Pau CUBARSIPau CUBARSI24Marc CUCURELLAMarc CUCURELLA8Fabian RUIZFabian RUIZ9GAVIGAVI16RODRIRODRI20PEDRIPEDRI7Ferran TORRESFerran TORRES21Mikel OYARZABALMikel OYARZABAL1VOZINHAVOZINHA3DINEY BORGESDINEY BORGES4PICO LOPESPICO LOPES13SIDNY LOPES CABRALSIDNY LOPES CABRAL22STEVEN MOREIRASTEVEN MOREIRA6KEVIN PINAKEVIN PINA7JOVANE CABRALJOVANE CABRAL10JAMIRO MONTEIROJAMIRO MONTEIRO15LAROS DUARTELAROS DUARTE19DAILON LIVRAMENTODAILON LIVRAMENTO20RYAN MENDESRYAN MENDES

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

66%
Possession
25%
2.26
Expected goals
0.13
90
Threat
10
27
Shots
6
7
On target
1
755
Passes completed
227
53
Forced turnovers
47
9.6s
Ball recovery time
24.8s
10.27
High-press phases
0.51
1
Fouls committed
9
2
Offsides
3
115 km
Distance covered
112 km
32.6 km/h
Top speed
33.6 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. Spain attack →, ← Cabo Verde attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 16′SIDNY LOPES CABRAL (Cabo Verde) is booked by the referee.
  2. 61′NUNO DA COSTA (in) comes off the bench to replace DAILON LIVRAMENTO (out) (Cabo Verde)
  3. 61′WILLY SEMEDO (in) comes off the bench to replace JOVANE CABRAL (out) (Cabo Verde)
  4. 61′DEROY DUARTE (in) comes off the bench to replace LAROS DUARTE (out) (Cabo Verde)
  5. 71′Mikel MERINO (in) comes off the bench to replace Fabian RUIZ (out) (Spain)
  6. 71′Lamine YAMAL (in) comes off the bench to replace GAVI (out) (Spain)
  7. 76′JOAO PAULO (in) comes off the bench to replace SIDNY LOPES CABRAL (out) (Cabo Verde)
  8. 79′TELMO ARCANJO (in) comes off the bench to replace JAMIRO MONTEIRO (out) (Cabo Verde)
  9. 81′Dani OLMO (in) comes off the bench to replace Ferran TORRES (out) (Spain)
  10. 87′Nico WILLIAMS (in) comes off the bench to replace RODRI (out) (Spain)
  11. 90+3′PEDRI (Spain) is booked by the referee.

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

Spain's Relentless Wastefulness Lets Cabo Verde Off

Spain controlled this entirely. Pedri orchestrated the midfield, Cucurella drove the left flank, and the visitors rarely threatened the Laporte-anchored defence. Spain pressed 10.3 high-press phases, forcing 53 turnovers in Cabo Verde's half. The home team fired 27 shots—seven on target—and registered 2.26 expected goals. Yet Cabo Verde, compact and disciplined in their 4-1-4-1, scraped a draw through sheer imperviousness. The shape was always Spain attacking; the puzzle was never breaking through.

Four clear chances went begging: a post at 39', a block at 40', a save at 56', and a miss at 45+4'. Vozinha, the visiting keeper, delivered a 9.0 performance, made the crucial 56th-minute stop, and steadied the ship. Spain's 66% possession and relentless press couldn't overcome their own profligacy. Cabo Verde's ball-recovery time of 24.8 seconds meant they were slow to transition, yet their defensive shape held. Sometimes you need just one moment; Spain's wasteful shooting meant Cabo Verde got to leave with pride and a point.

Spain created 2.26 expected goals from 27 shots; Vozinha's 9.0-rated performance and Cabo Verde's immovable shape ensured a scoreless stalemate.

56′

Vozinha's save denied Spain again—the moment their dominance required a goal.

What Spain needed

Controlled but profligate—pressing created chaos, but finishing proved elusive.

  • Four big chances missed (39', 40', 56', 45+4')—clinical conversion wins tournaments.
  • 2.26 xG with 27 shots: volume without incision is just noise.
  • Possess and press, but they still needed ruthlessness in the box.

What Cabo Verde needed

Disciplined retreat, exceptional goalkeeper work—a smash-and-grab point.

  • Vozinha's 9.0 rating: the 56th-minute save was the difference between draw and defeat.
  • 24.8-second recovery time slowed Spain's transitions; compact shape suffocated creativity.
  • 0.13 xG but zero conceded—defensive solidity overcame complete possession surrender.