España busca reacción en el Grupo H tras tropiezo ante Cabo Verde

Spain’s 0-0 draw with Cabo Verde turned a routine group opener into an early warning for the World Cup’s established names. FIFA called it an unexpected stumble for Spain, who arrived as the reigning European champions and the 2010 world champions, but left with only one point after finishing with 74.2% possession, 11 corners and 27 shots, seven of them on target and all stopped by Vozinha.

The result mattered far beyond one match. In Group H, where Spain were drawn with Uruguay, Cabo Verde and Saudi Arabia, the opening round has already compressed the standings and narrowed the room for error. The 2026 World Cup, spread across Canada, Mexico and the United States, features 48 teams and 104 matches, and the early tone in this group suggests the bracket may reward discipline more than reputation. Cabo Verde, making its World Cup debut, turned the draw into a historic result and showed how quickly a newcomer can upset the expected order.

Uruguay also left its first outing with questions. Its 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia was described by FIFA as an irregular start, with Federico Valverde and Ronald Araújo looking on as the team was framed as still “in construction.” Valverde’s performance swung before and after halftime, a sign that Uruguay has not yet settled into the sharp, assertive identity that has long defined its best tournament runs. Uruguay had been scheduled to face Cabo Verde in Guadalajara on June 21 and Spain on June 27, two fixtures that now carry added weight after the uneven opening.

Belgium added to the sense that some traditional powers are still searching for rhythm. Its 1-1 draw with Egypt in Seattle came after Emam Ashour put Egypt ahead in the 19th minute and Mohamed Hany equalized with an own goal in the 66th. FIFA noted that Egypt had led a World Cup match for only 29 minutes in its history before that game, yet Belgium still managed only 52% possession, 15 shots and three on target.

Taken together, Spain’s flat start, Uruguay’s instability and Belgium’s repeated hesitation point to an opening phase already separating teams that look tournament-ready from those exposing structural weaknesses. In a World Cup built on speed and compressed margins, that gap can become decisive fast.