Spain vs Cape Verde
One of the biggest World Cup 2026 stories of the tournament is set to unfold in Atlanta, Georgia when tournament favourites Spain take on first-timers Cape Verde in a sporting fairytale story the likes of which we rarely see.
The festival of footy kicked off with a bang on Thursday night as hosts Mexico got off to a winning start, beating South Africa 2-0 in an explosive match which saw three red cards. And now, with the games coming thick and fast we’ll have the chance to see the best teams in the world at play, as well as the tiniest of minnows, and on Monday at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium we’ll see both.
Luis de la Fuente’s Spain are expected to see off Bubista’s Cape Verde with some ease, but the Blue Sharks will have plenty of support from neutrals around the world. It’s a David versus Goliath clash of some magnitude as the Champions of Europe take on the tiny archipelago nation with a population of just 600,000, fewer than the population of Seville, and one sixth of the number of inhabitants of Madrid.
Oyarzabal to star again
La Roja have a glittering array of talent in its squad, and the World Cup 2026 betting odds say De la Fuente’s men are the nation to beat, with the Blue Sharks getting the first shot. With the likes of the Barcelona duo of Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres in the attacking group this will be an exciting team to watch, while Real Sociedad star Mikel Oyarzabal looks likely to be the main man to lead the line. The 29-year-old arrives in Atlanta on the back of the most productive campaign of his career and he has now reached 100 league goals for the Basque team in just over 300 appearances, and 130 goals in total. And for Spain his ratio is even better. Oyarzabal bagged Spain’s winner in the Euro 2024 final and has 25 goals in 53 games for his country.
A clever player with superb ball skills and distribution and able to shoot with both feet, Oyarzabal will link up with Lamal, and another Barca player, Pedri, with potentially devastating results. De La Fuente will hope that Athletic Club’s Nico Williams can find his form of Euro 2024 and that Manchester City defensive midfielder Rodri can stay fit, and if they do, this will be a team expecting to make the final.
Mendes can be a Centurion hero
Unlike their opening opponents Cape Verde don’t have household names in their group but they do have team spirit and a work ethic in spades, relying on a mix of youth and experience, and they have their own talisman in captain and top scorer Ryan Mendes. With 22 goals in 98 games for the Blue Sharks the 36 year old is sure to reach his century over the next few days and he will lead his team with distinction. Mendes made his name in France with Lille and had a brief stint at Nottingham Forest, and he’s also played in the Saudi Pro league, and the well travelled star will be a focal point for the Blue Sharks’ attacking unit.
At the other end of the pitch, Cape Verde will have 40-year-old keeper Vozinha between the sticks. And look out for a pair of 25 year olds who can make their mark for the underdogs. Villarreal’s powerful centre back Logan Costa will marshal a determined defence while, up front Dailon Livramento, who top scorer in qualifying with four goals is a real handful. A fast and powerful striker he scored a brilliant solo goal against Cameroon in qualifying and with seven goals in 20 games the Hellas Verona star is a real goal threat.
History
This is the first time Spain and Cape Verde have met in competition and, no surprise, as the Africans are making their World Cup debut this week, but the Blue Sharks have participated in the African Cup of Nations four times, reaching the quarter finals in 2013 and 2023.
Spain have won two and drawn two this year, beating Peru 3-1 last week and they were unbeaten throughout 2025; meanwhile, the Blue Sharks have won two, drawn one and lost one in 2026, the two wins coming over the past couple of weeks, in impressive style with 3-0 victories over Serbia and Bermuda.
Betting Tip
Spain are red hot favourites at odds of 1.10 to win this game, with Cape Verde at 20.00 and the draw is at 9.60. If La Roja slip up here it will be the biggest World Cup 2026 news story imaginable and while the Blue Sharks do have a bite, I don’t believe they will worry the European champions too much. 3-0 is the most likely scoreline at SBOTOP odds of 5.70.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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