Spain 0-0 Cape Verde: La Roja simply cannot win 2026 World Cup without superstar Lamine Yamal in full flow

Spain stutter. Cape Verde person the champion nighttime of their lives.

That was not beauteous - Spain huffed and puffed but were yet incapable to marque the breakthrough against an incredibly spirted Cape Verde outfit connected Monday.

Lamine Yamal instantly improved matters for Spain upon his accomplishment successful the 71st infinitesimal of the match, but the Barcelona superstar, connected his instrumentality from injury, was yet incapable to assistance La Roja triumph, arsenic the points were shared successful a goalless draw.

Spain 0-0 Cape Verde: What conscionable happened?

This volition spell down arsenic 1 of the biggest World Cup shocks of each time. Many expected Spain to enactment 4 oregon 5 past Cape Verde, but the Blue Sharks had different ideas, with a spirited antiaircraft show securing an unthinkable constituent for Bubista's team.

As expected, Spain dominated the statistic successful presumption of possession (74%) and shots (27), but the lone happening that mattered was the score, and Luis de la Fuente's broadside could not find a mode through.

This is arguably the biggest effect successful Cape Verde's history, and it volition person fixed them monumental assurance erstwhile it comes to their chances of perchance advancing to the knockout circular of this season's tournament.

Spain 0-0 Cape Verde: The large talking point

Spain were incapable to unrecorded up to their billing arsenic pre-tournament favourites, and they recovered it incredibly hard to unfastened up Cape Verde until Yamal was introduced precocious on.

Yamal did not start, having lone conscionable recovered from a hamstring injury, but the lucifer demonstrated that Spain simply cannot beryllium palmy successful the contention without him.

The 18-year-old's speedy feet and speedy reasoning gave Spain their champion accidental of winning it precocious on, and helium was intelligibly the standout subordinate connected the transportation upon his introduction.

The likes of Gavi and Ferran Torres were incapable to marque their people successful the last third.

For Spain to triumph the 2026 World Cup, Yamal volition request to get up to velocity quickly, and the teenage superstar is inactive much than susceptible of inspiring La Roja to occurrence this summer.

Spain 0-0 Cape Verde: The bigger picture

This was Yamal's archetypal quality since injuring his hamstring successful Barcelona's La Liga clash with Celta Vigo astatine the extremity of May, but helium was arsenic crisp arsenic ever upon his introduction.

A standout infinitesimal arrived erstwhile helium played a beauteous walk with the extracurricular of his ft to Dani Olmo, but Cape Verde continued to support successful their numbers.

There volition present beryllium unit connected Spain brag De la Fuente to bring Yamal into the starting broadside for Spain's adjacent lucifer against Saudi Arabia connected Sunday.

Ideally, De la Fuente would person wanted to easiness Yamal into the tourney and past anticipation to spot the champion of the teenage sensation successful the knockout circular of the competition, but Spain's supporting formed struggled severely without him connected Monday.

For Spain to triumph the World Cup, Yamal is required, portion Nico Williams volition besides request to get up to velocity rapidly successful bid to springiness La Roja the champion imaginable accidental of success.