Spain begin their World Cup 2026 campaign on Monday when they take on tournament debutants Cape Verde in Atlanta.
The reigning European champions arrive in the United States in excellent form, having gone 10 matches unbeaten and won seven of those games.
Spain rounded off their preparations with a convincing 3-1 win over Peru and will be expected to make a strong start in a group that also includes Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
For Cape Verde, this is a historic occasion. The Blue Sharks are appearing at a World Cup for the first time after an impressive qualifying campaign and head into the tournament with momentum following back-to-back 3-0 friendly wins over Serbia and Bermuda.
Team News for Spain v Cape Verde
Spain have received a boost with Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams returning to full training after recent injury setbacks.
However, both players are expected to begin on the bench as De la Fuente manages their workloads ahead of tougher tests later in the group stage.
Víctor Munoz remains a doubt because of muscular overload, which could open the door for Ferran Torres and Alex Baena to start alongside Mikel Oyarzabal in attack.
Pedro Porro is expected to feature at right-back, while Rodri, Pedri and Fabian Ruiz should form Spain’s first-choice midfield trio.
Cape Verde have no injury concerns heading into their World Cup debut.
Expected Line-ups for Spain v Cape Verde
Spain predicted XI: Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Fabian Ruiz, Rodri, Pedri; Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal, Alex Baena.
Cape Verde predicted XI: Vozinha; Steven Moreira, Logan Costa, Roberto Lopes, Joao Paulo; Kevin Pina, Deroy Duarte; Ryan Mendes, Jovane Cabral, Gilson Tavares; Dailon Livramento.
Where to Watch Spain v Cape Verde
Kick-off is scheduled for 12:00 local time in Atlanta on Monday, with kick-off in the UK at 17:00.
In the UK, the match will be shown live on ITV, with streaming available through ITVX.
Stats for Spain v Cape Verde
- This will be the first ever meeting between Spain and Cape Verde.
- Spain are unbeaten in their last 10 matches across all competitions.
- La Roja have won seven of those 10 games.
- Spain have not progressed beyond the last 16 at any of the previous three World Cups.
- Spain’s last World Cup triumph came in 2010.
- Cape Verde are making their first appearance at a FIFA World Cup.
- The Blue Sharks have won each of their last three matches.
- Cape Verde have scored nine goals and conceded none across those three victories.
- Ryan Mendes is Cape Verde’s all-time leading scorer with 22 international goals.
- Spain are ranked among the favourites to win the 2026 World Cup.
Prediction for Spain v Cape Verde
Cape Verde deserve enormous credit for reaching their first World Cup, but Spain possess significantly greater quality across the pitch and should control proceedings from start to finish.
The European champions may rotate some attacking options given the long tournament ahead, but they should prove too much for the tournament newcomers.
A comfortable Spain win looks the most likely outcome.
Prediction: Spain 3-0 Cape Verde
