Spain's Media Slams De la Fuente and National Team After Cape Verde Blunder

Spain's footballing world reacted with understandable dismay to their surprising goalless draw against World Cup debutants Cape Verde in their opening match of the 2026 tournament. Local media spared no criticism for head coach Luis de la Fuente and the team's star players.

"A Catastrophic Start," declared the headline in "Marca." "A sudden disaster struck Spain in Atlanta. An unknown team, devoid of footballing prowess, ideas, and resources, proved incapable of scoring against Cape Verde – an enthusiastic side that delivered the biggest surprise of this World Cup. The belated introduction of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams in search of a breakthrough yielded no results.

Atlanta became the stage for a sporting miracle, as if an amateur from a local gym had defeated the legendary Rafa Nadal. Spain has put Cape Verde on the football map. However, the colossal disappointment of the debut can still be rectified in the locker room. Spain's debut was eagerly anticipated, with the team tipped as favorites for a tournament that is a labyrinth where reliability often gets lost. This is where De la Fuente fits in, seemingly losing track of time with his substitutions. This was also the picture of the match for Spain – a team without a compass," Marca added.

"A Disappointing Start for Spain at the World Cup," read the headline in "Mundo Deportivo." "The Spanish plan faltered from the very beginning. The team played at a low tempo, with predictable ball circulation and few solutions against a well-organized, compact, and highly disciplined opponent. Gavi, positioned as a winger, had almost no impact, and Pedri failed to assert his usual control in midfield.

"Spain Embarrassed Against Cape Verde: Lackluster Play in Lamine's Absence," was the assessment from "AS." Many passes, but few goal-scoring opportunities. In fact, none. Spain faced a Cape Verde team that had dug in defensively under Bubista, with goalkeeper Vozinha shining with his saves. However, "La Furia" lacked freshness and, most importantly, attacking sharpness. The team displayed overly uninspired play, with Cucurella being the most prominent player on the field.

Nevertheless, Spanish media also added that it is too early to draw definitive conclusions and lose hope. They recalled that in their triumphant 2010 campaign, "La Furia" started with a defeat to Switzerland in their opening match but went on to lift the World Cup trophy.