De la Fuente: We Lacked Freshness

Spain's head coach, Luis de la Fuente, remained composed following his team's unexpected stumble at the start of their 2026 World Cup campaign. La Roja played out a goalless draw against debutants Cape Verde, but the experienced manager doesn't believe his side's performance was disappointing.

“The important thing is to remain consistent and stick to our principles. Yes, perhaps we weren't precise enough in the final third. It was one of those matches where you create many chances but fail to convert them,” de la Fuente stated.

“We probably lacked a bit of freshness as well. Cape Verde is a very organized team. They dropped into a low block from the very beginning, making it difficult for us to get into clear positions. At times we succeeded, but we needed to move the ball faster,” the Spain coach continued.

“We certainly didn't lack desire. We had many shots, but the ball just didn't want to go into the net,” de la Fuente noted.

“Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are gradually finding their rhythm. In the next match, they will likely get more minutes and pose a greater threat to the opposition,” added the European champions' coach.

In the second group stage match, Spain will face Saudi Arabia.