Cape Verde's goalkeeper Vozinha made a fantastic save during the 2026 World Cup Group H match against Spain at the Atlanta Stadium on June 15, 2026. (Photo by ROBERTO SCHMIDT / AFP)
In a surprising turn of events, European champions Spain ended up with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, who were making their World Cup debut. This match came as Iran was also set to kick off their much-anticipated tournament journey amidst a backdrop of uncertainty.
According to reports, the 40-year-old Cape Verdean goalkeeper Vozinha made seven crucial saves against the 2010 World Cup winners.
Spain, seen as one of the favorites to win the tournament, was expected to easily defeat Cape Verde in their Group H match in Atlanta.
Despite dominating possession with 74 percent and attacking the Cape Verde goal repeatedly, the 2010 champions could not break through against the underdogs from the small island nation of just 525,000 people. Many betting sites ranked Cape Verde as a 2000-1 long shot to win the World Cup.
Even with the arrival of Barcelona star Lamine Yamal off the bench, Spain's players could not find the net. Luis de la Fuente's team struggled to score throughout the match.
Cape Verde's players and fans celebrated exuberantly after earning an unexpected point in their first-ever World Cup match.
Known as the Blue Sharks, Cape Verde had never qualified for the World Cup before. They found renewed hope to reach the finals after FIFA increased the tournament size to 48 teams.
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