Spain vs Cape Verde — World Cup 2026

Tale of the tape.

Last five walks into the room.

Who's hotter going in? Latest competitive results, newest first.

Three duels that decide it.

Right wing vs Left back · Youth flash

Lamine Yamal

#19 · Barcelona

VS

Pico

#4 · Shamrock Rovers

Yamal's blistering pace and dribbling will test Pico's positional discipline early and often. The Barcelona prodigy has the tools to create chaos on the flank, though Cape Verde's defensive structure may suffocate space in the middle. This could set the tone for Spain's wider dominance.

Playmaker vs Playmaker · Creative pivot

Pedri

#20 · Barcelona

VS

Jamiro Monteiro

#10 · PEC Zwolle

Pedri's press-resistant touch and range will likely overpower Monteiro's deeper role in midfield. Spain's ball retention will hinge on this battle; if Pedri controls tempo, Cape Verde's counterattack fades. Monteiro must be sharp to harry and disrupt early.

Centre-back vs Striker · Physical reckoning

Aymeric Laporte

#14 · Al-Nassr

VS

D. Livramento

#9 · Hellas Verona

Laporte's composure and left-foot distribution will anchor Spain's defence, but Livramento's direct running could pose occasional problems in transition. Laporte's reading of the game should see him win most physical duels, though Cape Verde will probe for any moment of slackness.

Spain vs Cape Verde: Silk vs Grit

Spain's suffocating passing dominance meets Cape Verde's scrappy resilience. One side builds cathedrals; the other throws up walls.

Win probability.

Even-money default — ranks not yet on file.

The bench faceoff.

Spain · Head coach

Luis de la Fuente

🇪🇸

Cape Verde · Head coach

Rui Águas

🇵🇹

Where to watch.

Both line-ups.

Every name in the frame — tap a player for their dossier, or a crest for the full team.

Spain

ESP · Full dossier →

Goalkeepers3

1David Raya13Joan García23Unai Simón

Defenders7

2Marc Pubill3Álex Grimaldo4Eric García12Pedro Porro14Aymeric Laporte22Pau Cubarsí Paredes24Marc Cucurella

Midfield11

5Marcos Llorente6Mikel Merino7Ferran Torres8Fabián Ruiz10Dani Olmo11Yeremy Pino15Álex Baena16Rodri18Martín Zubimendi19Lamine Yamal20Pedri

Attack5

9Gavi17Nico Williams21Mikel Oyarzabal25Víctor Muñoz26Borja Iglesias

Cape Verde

CPV · Full dossier →

Goalkeepers3

1Vózinha12Márcio Rosa23C. dos Santos

Defenders9

2Stopira3Diney Borges4Pico5Logan Costa8João Paulo13S. Lopes Cabral22S. Moreira24Wagner Pina25Kelvin Pires

Midfield11

6Kevin Pina7Jovane Cabral10Jamiro Monteiro11Garry Rodrigues14Deroy Duarte15L. Duarte16Yannick Semedo17Willy Semedo18Telmo Arcanjo20Ryan Mendes26Hélio Varela

Attack3

9Gilson Benchimol19D. Livramento21Nuno da Costa