Spain will begin their 2026 FIFA World Cup journey on Monday 15th June 2026 when they face tournament debutants Cape Verde in Atlanta, with Luis de la Fuente’s side aiming to make the perfect start to their Group H campaign.
La Roja enter the tournament as one of the favourites to lift the trophy, alongside France, after building on their status as reigning European champions. Spain head into the World Cup in excellent form, unbeaten in their last 10 matches and fresh from a 3-1 victory over Peru in their final warm-up game.
The 2010 world champions will also face Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H, and anything other than a winning start against Cape Verde would be considered a major surprise.
However, Cape Verde arrive full of confidence ahead of the biggest match in their history. Bubista’s side secured their place at the World Cup by finishing ahead of Cameroon in qualifying and have won their last three matches, including impressive 3-0 victories over Serbia and Bermuda in pre-tournament friendlies.
Monday’s clash will mark the first-ever meeting between Spain and Cape Verde, while also representing Cape Verde’s historic debut appearance at a FIFA World Cup finals.
Team News:
Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams both returned to full training with Spain at the end of last week, with the pair recovering from recent injury problems.
However, it would be a surprise to see either risked from the start against Cape Verde, with the star attacking duo instead expected to feature off the bench.
Cape Verde, meanwhile, have no fitness concerns heading into the contest with La Roja.
Ryan Mendes is Cape Verde’s highest goalscorer of all time, finding the back of the net on 22 occasions in 97 caps, and the 36-year-old is set to feature in the starting side.
Possible Lineups
Spain possible starting lineup:
Simon; Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Ruiz, Rodri, Pedri; F Torres, Oyarzabal, Baena
Cape Verde possible starting lineup:
Vozinha; Moreira, Costa, Pico, Paulo; Semedo, Pina; Mendes, Monteiro, Cabral; Dailon
How to Watch
| Platform | Details |
|---|---|
| TV Broadcast | SuperSport |
| Live Stream | DSTV stream |
| Kick-off Time | 17:00 (WAT) |
Match Predictions
Softfootball predicts Spain 3-0 Cape Verde
Cape Verde deserve so much respect for qualifying for the competition, but we are struggling to back them to cause Spain problems on Monday
