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The failure of the Spanish national football team to defeat Cape Verde in their opening Group H match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday (May 15, 2026) left behind several negative notes for La Furia Roja.

The goalless draw between Spain and Cape Verde became one of the biggest surprises in this year’s World Cup edition.

During the ‘Super Tactics’ programme, themed “Predictions for Groups G–L of the 2026 World Cup – The Groups of Future Champions,” held at the Tribunnews Solo office in Karanganyar, Indonesia, Arizqi Romadhoni, Chairman of Juventus Club Indonesia (Banten Chapter), shared his views on Spain’s performance in the tournament.

Although Spain entered the 2026 World Cup as reigning European champions, Arizqi believed that winning the global title would not come easily for them.

He even predicted that Spain might only progress as far as the Round of 16, arguing that their squad is too young to compete at the highest level. “Looking at Spain, most of the players are still very young. They might reach the Round of 16, but winning the title seems difficult,” said Arizqi Romadhoni.

Excitement for the World Cup has also swept across Indonesia, including Maluku, which celebrated enthusiastically ahead of the 2026 tournament to be jointly hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Here are some of the negative records Spain produced after managing to secure only one point against Cape Verde, as compiled from Squawka and Opta.

The most striking statistic concerns Spain’s recurring struggles in their opening World Cup matches over the last five editions.

For instance, in the 2010 World Cup, where Spain eventually lifted their first-ever title, their campaign started with a shocking defeat. Despite being in their golden generation, Spain lost 1–0 to Switzerland in their opening game.

Four years later, as defending champions, Spain suffered an even more crushing blow, losing 5–1 to the Netherlands in their opening Group B match at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. That heavy defeat ultimately triggered their early exit from the group stage.

In the 2018 edition held in Russia, Spain again failed to impress in their first match. A thrilling clash against Portugal ended in a 3–3 draw, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s sensational hat-trick denying Spain a victory.

Spain finally broke the pattern in 2022, when they demolished Costa Rica 7–0 in their opening game — the biggest win in Spanish World Cup history.

Unfortunately, the disappointment returned in 2026, as Spain could only manage a goalless draw against Cape Verde in their opening fixture.

Looking at the pattern, Spain’s record in opening World Cup matches has been far from impressive — one win, two draws, and two defeats in their last five tournaments serves as solid evidence.

For the first time ever, La Furia Roja also failed to score in their opening World Cup match.

This year, Spain’s performance drew further scrutiny after their inability to convert chances against Cape Verde. Despite firing 27 shots, only seven were on target.

All of Spain’s efforts were brilliantly denied by Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper, Vozinha, whose heroic display was the main reason Spain failed to secure victory.

Adding to the frustration, Spanish striker Mikel Oyarzabal became the first player in World Cup history to go 30 minutes without a single touch of the ball.

Following this disappointing draw, Spain must remain cautious. With upcoming matches against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, La Furia Roja must collect maximum points to ensure progression to the knockout stage.

(Tribunnews.com/Dwi Setiawan)