Spain, the 2024 UEFA Euro winners, will make their official debut at the 2026 World Cup on Monday against Cabo Verde at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The side coached by Luis de la Fuente can count on Barcelona star Lamine Yamal, who was in doubt after missing the end of the season with the Spanish club. The coach of the national team spoke ahead of the match and confirmed the news, saying, “Lamine is in perfect condition, training very well like the rest of the teammates who have had some issues. I can tell you that all the players are available for the debut.”
La Roja are widely regarded as one of the leading contenders to lift the trophy, having come through the qualifying campaign unbeaten. Spain won each of their first five matches without conceding a single goal before concluding the group stage with a 2-2 draw against Turkiye. Spain are one of only eight nations to have won the FIFA World Cup and remain the most recent first-time champions. They secured their maiden world title in 2010, defeating the Netherlands 1-0 after extra time in the final thanks to Andres Iniesta’s iconic winner.
On the other hand, Cabo Verde are one of the great stories of this World Cup. Representing a nation of just over 500,000 people, they are the third-smallest country by population ever to qualify for the tournament, behind Iceland (approximately 340,000 inhabitants) and Curaçao (around 156,000). Both teams have been drawn in Group H and will face each other before taking on Saudi Arabia and Uruguay later this month.
How to watch Spain vs. Cabo Verde
Date: Monday, June 15 | Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia
TV: FOX (Eng), Telemundo (Spa) | Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Odds: Spain -1064; Draw +1058; Cabo Verde +2300
Spain vs. Cabo Verde predicted starting lineups
Spain: Unai Simon; Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Fabian Ruiz, Rodri, Pedri; Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal, Alejandro Baena.
Cabo Verde: Vozinha; Steven Moreira, Roberto Lopes, Logan Costa, Joao Paulo; Yannick Semedo, Wagner Pina; Ryan Mendes, Jamiro Monteiro, Jovane Cabral; Dailon Rocha Livramento.
Keep up with the World Cup standings here!
Spain vs. Cabo Verde pick, prediction
Spain are expected to win and also with a big margin against a team that should rely on the opening game for their dreams in the tournament. Pick: Spain 5, Cabo Verde 0.
Check out our World Cup expert predictions.
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Golazo 48 Nations is your all-access destination for the World Cup, with wall-to-wall coverage across the CBS Sports Golazo Network. From the first whistle to the final recap, the entire Golazo crew will guide fans through every moment of the tournament.
Each day begins with Morning Footy, setting the stage with the newest news, storylines, and previews ahead of kickoff. From there, Golazo Matchday and Golazo Matchnight deliver reaction and analysis as the action unfolds. Fans can also tune in for coverage of USMNT matches with the Call It What You Want team, as well as reaction to other marquee matchups.
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