Spain open their 2026 World Cup campaign against debutants Cabo Verde at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday evening, with the reigning European champions among the overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy in North America and a comfortable victory here representing the expected start to that journey.
Luis de la Fuente’s side are widely considered co-favourites for the tournament alongside France and arrive in Group H having been handed arguably the most favourable draw of any of the serious title contenders. Alongside Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay await, but the group is there for Spain to control from the first game. This is their chance to announce themselves as the team to beat in 2026, just as they did in 2010 when the tiki-taka era reached its peak with World Cup glory in South Africa, sandwiched between back-to-back European championships.
The start of potentially another dominant cycle began with Euro 2024 victory in Germany, and another deep run this summer would cement this generation’s place among the all-time great Spain teams.
For Cabo Verde, Monday evening is an entirely different kind of occasion. The ten-island African archipelago qualified for their first ever World Cup by finishing ahead of Cameroon in their qualification group, with manager Bubista leading a squad of largely unknown talents to North America in a remarkable achievement for a football nation of their size. They sit 67th in the FIFA world rankings, 65 places below Spain. The gulf in quality is enormous. But Cabo Verde arrive with a spirit and a story that will make them worth watching, even if the result in Atlanta is almost certainly going in one direction.
Spain form heading into World Cup 2026
Spain arrive unbeaten in their last ten matches with seven wins across that run. Their final preparation before heading to North America produced a 3-1 victory over Peru, giving De la Fuente’s squad a confidence-boosting result before the serious business begins. Spain have not lost a competitive match since March 2024 and the collective quality available to the manager is deeper and more varied than perhaps any international squad in the tournament.
Cabo Verde form and World Cup background
The Blue Sharks arrive in better form than most people will expect. They have won each of their last three matches, including a 3-0 victory over Serbia at the end of May and a 3-0 win over Bermuda on June 6 to round off their preparations. Those are results that should give their supporters genuine encouragement heading into the group stage, even if Spain represent an entirely different level of opposition.
Cabo Verde have a puncher’s chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds through second or third place in Group H, with Saudi Arabia and Uruguay presenting more realistic opportunities later in the group stage. Monday’s game is one to enjoy rather than one to approach with expectations of a result.
Premier League players in the Spain vs Cabo Verde World Cup fixture
Spain carry a significant Premier League contingent into their World Cup opener, with seven players from English top-flight clubs in the squad. Arsenal are the best-represented Premier League club with three players, reflecting the influence of Mikel Arteta’s Premier League-winning squad on the international stage. Cabo Verde have no Premier League players in their squad, with the majority of their roster playing across lower divisions in Europe and the Americas.
Player Position Premier League Club Country
David Raya Goalkeeper Arsenal Spain
Marc Cucurella Defender Chelsea Spain
Pedro Porro Defender Tottenham Hotspur Spain
Rodri Midfielder Manchester City Spain
Mikel Merino Midfielder Arsenal Spain
Martin Zubimendi Midfielder Arsenal Spain
Yeremy Pino Forward Crystal Palace Spain
Rodri is the most important name in that list and the most important player in Spain’s entire squad. The Manchester City midfielder is the finest holding midfielder in the world and the player around whom Spain’s system is built. His fitness has been worth monitoring after injury struggles earlier this year and Fabián Ruiz also spent time dealing with a complicated knee issue during the spring, meaning De la Fuente will be watching both carefully through the early stages of the tournament.
Arsenal’s Premier League trio of Raya, Merino and Zubimendi add considerable depth to the squad, with Raya the standout goalkeeper in English football this season even if Unai Simón is expected to start. Pedro Porro of Tottenham starts at right-back in the absence of Dani Carvajal, who was not selected for the squad. Crystal Palace’s Yeremy Pino provides attacking cover from the bench.
Spain team news and predicted lineup vs Cabo Verde
The biggest team news story heading into this match is the fitness of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams. Both returned to full training at the end of last week after recovering from recent injury problems, but it would be a surprise to see either risked from the start against Cabo Verde, with the star attacking duo instead expected to feature from the bench. Their partnership at Euro 2024 was one of the defining features of Spain’s title-winning campaign, and De la Fuente will want both fully fit before deploying them together from the first minute.
In their absence from the starting lineup, Ferran Torres and Alex Baena are expected to start alongside Mikel Oyarzabal in the final third. Victor Munoz is also a doubt due to muscular overload, which further influences the forward selection. Rodri, Fabián Ruiz and Pedri are set to form the midfield three. Pedro Porro starts at right-back with Pau Cubarsí and Aymeric Laporte the likely centre-back pairing and Marc Cucurella at left-back. Unai Simón retains the manager’s loyalty in goal despite David Raya’s outstanding Premier League season with Arsenal.
Spain predicted lineup vs Cabo Verde (4-3-3): Simón; Porro, Cubarsí, Laporte, Cucurella; Fabián Ruiz, Rodri, Pedri; Torres, Oyarzabal, Baena.
Cabo Verde team news and predicted lineup vs Spain
Bubista has no injury concerns ahead of the match and has a fully fit squad to select from for the World Cup opener. Ryan Mendes, the 36-year-old captain who is Cabo Verde’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals in 97 caps, is set to start and will provide the experience and leadership the side needs in such a significant occasion. Dailon Livramento, who was the joint-leading scorer in CONCACAF and African qualifying with four goals and carries seven international goals in 22 caps, is the player most likely to trouble Spain if Cabo Verde find any moments of quality on the counter-attack. Logan Costa of Villarreal is expected to start at centre-back.
One of the more remarkable stories surrounding this squad is the inclusion of Roberto Lopes, a defender who was reportedly recruited via LinkedIn, adding an entirely unique footnote to Cabo Verde’s World Cup debut story.
Cabo Verde predicted lineup vs Spain (4-2-3-1): Vozinha; Moreira, Costa, Pico, Paulo; Semedo, Pina; Mendes, Monteiro, Cabral; Livramento.
Spain vs Cabo Verde prediction
This is a first ever meeting between Spain and Cabo Verde and is one of the biggest mismatches of the entire tournament group stage. Spain are second in the FIFA world rankings and Cabo Verde are 67th, with a gap in quality at every position that is almost impossible to bridge regardless of spirit and organisation. Spain will dominate possession, control the tempo and create chances at will.
Cabo Verde will have their moments on the counter-attack, particularly through Livramento, and the hydration breaks will provide some respite, but a heavy Spanish victory is the only realistic expectation from this fixture. The question is not whether Spain win but how many goals they score as they begin what could be a deep run at this World Cup.
Prediction: Spain 4-0 Cabo Verde
Kick-off: Monday June 16, 5pm BST / 12pm ET
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Referee: Adham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
Related Items:2026 FIFA World Cup, Arsenal, Cabo Verde national football team, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, David Raya, FIFA World Cup, Luis de la Fuente, Manchester City, Marc Cucurella, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Pedro Leitão Brito, Pedro Porro, Rodri, Spain, Tottenham Hotspur, Yeremy Pino
Recommended for you