Garry Rodrigues

Three-time World Cup champions Spain face debutants Cape Verde in opener.

Spain vs. Cape Verde kicks off at 17:00 [GMT+1] on Monday, June 15, at the Atlanta Stadium. Spain will begin their FIFA 2026 World Cup campaign against Cape Verde on Monday night. While they enter the tournament among the favourites, Cape Verde have quietly built an impressive run of results and will believe they can make life difficult for one of world football's traditional powers. Spain's recent record underlines why they are considered genuine contenders. They have won five of their last six matches in all competitions and are unbeaten in 31 consecutive games. Even more impressively, they have avoided defeat in 33 of their last 34 matches, a remarkable run that highlights both their consistency and tactical maturity. The Spaniards have been particularly dominant going forward. They have scored in each of their last 28 home matches and have found at least two goals in each of their previous 13 games across all competitions. That attacking consistency reflects a side comfortable in possession and capable of breaking down opponents through sustained pressure and technical quality. One statistic that stands out is Spain's ability to control matches from the opening whistle. They have not trailed at half-time in any of their last 31 fixtures, demonstrating their tendency to establish authority early and limit opponents' opportunities to build momentum. There is, however, a slight contradiction in their World Cup-specific form. Spain have managed only one victory in their last six World Cup matches, suggesting that tournament football has occasionally proved more challenging than their performances in qualifying and other international competitions might indicate. Barcelona’s Yamine Lamal is expected to team up with Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal and Athletic’s Nico Williams at the attacking end of 4—3—3 formation. World Cup debutants Cape Verde deserve significant credit for their recent form. Like Spain, they have won five of their last six matches and are unbeaten in six consecutive games. Their confidence will be high after a series of disciplined and effective performances that have elevated their reputation on the international stage. The Blue Sharks have also shown growing attacking confidence away from home. They have scored at least twice in each of their last three away matches and average 2.00 goals per game on their travels. Those numbers suggest they are capable of carrying a threat on the counterattack, particularly if Spain commit large numbers forward. Despite those positives, the challenge facing Cape Verde is substantial. While they may enjoy moments of success in transition, sustaining defensive concentration for ninety minutes against Spain's technical quality is a difficult task. Dailon Livramento is expected at the attacking end of a 4—2—3—1 formation.