Spain and Cape Verde have confirmed their starting line-ups before both teams kick off the 2026 World Cup in Atlanta on Monday.
The reigning European champions and World Cup winners from 2010 are among the favorites to lift the trophy this year.
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Cape Verde’s historical moments
The Blue Sharks qualified for their first-ever World Cup by beating Eswatini 3-0 at home last October. The team finished top of their qualifying group – ahead of the five-time African champions Cameroon.
The match is the first to be played in Group H. It continues when Saudi Arabia meets Uruguay in Miami at 23:00 Norwegian time.
World Cup 2026: Spain’s confirmed team against Cape Verde
Spain makes one change from the 3-1 win over Peru in Puebla six days ago. In comes Gavi – out goes Álex Baena.
Víctor Muñoz is sitting on the bench after being doubtful due to muscle strain. Wingers Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are back in full training after hamstring injuries, and they will also start on the bench.
Barcelona winger Fermín López will miss the entire championship after he suffered a fracture in his right foot just before the squad was to be announced.
Spain’s starting eleven: Unai Simón, Marc Cucurella, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsí, Marcos Llorente, Fabián Ruiz, Rodri, Pedri, Gavi, Mikel Oyarzabal, Ferran Torres
Spain’s substitutes: David Raya, Joan García, Marc Pubill, Álex Grimaldo, Eric García, Pedro Porro, Mikel Merino, Álex Baena, Martín Zubimendi, Dani Olmo, Yeremy Pino, Nico Williams, Lamine Yamal, Víctor Muñoz, Borja Iglesias
World Cup 2026: Cape Verde’s complete squad against Spain
Cape Verde makes seven changes from the 3-0 win over Bermuda in East Hartford on June 6. In comes Vozinha, Pico Lopes, Diney Borges, Sidny Cabral, Kevin Pina, Jamiro Monteiro and Laros Duarte.
Villarreal stopper Logan Costa – who hasn’t played a competitive match for the national team since March 2025 and missed almost all of last season due to a knee injury – will have to settle for a place on the bench. So do Márcio Rosa, Telmo Arcanjo, João Paulo, Willy Semedo, Deroy Duarte and Stopira.
Former Irish U19 international Pico Lopes, who defends for Shamrock Rovers in Ireland, made his debut for Cape Verde in 2019 – after being recruited via LinkedIn. He was born in Dublin to a Cape Verdean father and an Irish mother.
Cape Verde’s starting eleven: Vozinha, Steven Moreira, Pico Lopes, Diney Borges, Sidny Cabral, Ryan Mendes, Kevin Pina, Jamiro Monteiro, Laros Duarte, Jovane Cabral, Dailon Livramento
Cape Verde substitutes: CJ dos Santos, Stopira, Logan Costa, João Paulo, Gilson Benchimol, Garry Rodrigues, Márcio Rosa, Deroy Duarte, Yannick Semedo, Willy Semedo, Telmo Arcanjo, Nuno da Costa, Wagner Pina, Kelvin Pires, Hélio Varela
World Cup 2026: Spain vs Cape Verde facts
- Spain have qualified for their 17th World Cup – and their 13th straight since missing out on the edition in 1974. This is their longest participation streak ever in the tournament.
- Their triumph in 2010 is the only time they have reached the semi-finals in their last 14 appearances.
- Spain have won just one of their last six World Cup matches (four draws, one loss) – the 7-0 win over Costa Rica in the 2022 group stage.
- La Roja could become the fourth nation to simultaneously hold both the European Championship and World Cup titles, after West Germany (Euro 1972, World Cup 1974), France (World Cup 1998, Euro 2000) and Spain itself (Euro 2008, World Cup 2010, Euro 2012).
- An unbeaten streak of 31 games in official internationals – 25 wins and 6 draws – since the 2-0 loss to Scotland in March 2023 is Spain’s longest streak ever in non-friendly matches.
- Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored Spain’s late winning goal in the Euro 2024 final, was one of three players with at least ten assists in the European qualifiers (six goals and four assists), along with Erling Braut Haaland (18) and Memphis Depay (12).
- Luis de la Fuente is experiencing his second major championship as Spain’s national team manager, after he led them to victory at Euro 2024. He also led them to triumph in the 2022/23 UEFA Nations League.
- Cape Verde could become the first African team since Ghana in 2006 to reach the playoffs of their first World Cup.
- They had the lowest goal difference among the African teams that reached the 2026 World Cup (+8). They have reached the playoffs in three of their four Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) participations, with quarter-finals in 2013 and 2023 being the best results.
- After winning one of their first three World Cup qualifiers (one draw, one loss), Cape Verde won six of their last seven (one draw).
- Each of the four goals Dailon Livramento scored in qualifying gave Cape Verde the lead – and ultimately victory.
- Bubista is the manager of his first World Cup. He has led the Blue Sharks since January 2020 and taken them to the AFCON playoffs on two occasions: the 2021 quarterfinals and the 2023 quarterfinals, before failing to qualify for the 2025 edition.
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