Under the blazing Atlanta sun at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Spain delivered a masterclass in controlled dominance to open their World Cup 2026 Group H campaign with a commanding 4-0 victory over debutants Cape Verde.

Luis de la Fuente's side wasted no time asserting their authority. In the 14th minute, Pedri threaded a perfectly weighted through-ball into the channel, and Lamine Yamal — the 18-year-old Barcelona sensation — cut inside Logan Costa with a shimmy that left the Villarreal defender flat-footed before curling a left-footed effort into the far corner. The crowd of 71,000 erupted.

Cape Verde, to their credit, attempted to press high in the opening exchanges, but Rodri's metronomic presence at the base of Spain's midfield suffocated every transition. By the half-hour mark, the Blue Sharks were retreating in banks of four, and Logan Costa earned a yellow card for a cynical trip on Nico Williams as Spain threatened to cut through at will.

The second goal arrived on 33 minutes — a thing of beauty. Nico Williams received a flick-on from Fabián Ruiz on the left, drove at pace past Steven Moreira, and pulled a low cross to the near post where Dani Olmo arrived on cue to side-foot home. Vozinha, the Cape Verde goalkeeper, had no chance.

Gavi picked up a caution just before the break for a petulant challenge on Deroy Duarte, the one blemish on an otherwise imperious first-half display. Spain went into the tunnel 2-0 up with an xG of 2.1 to Cape Verde's 0.09.

The second half was a formality. Jamiro Monteiro — already on a yellow — fouled Dani Olmo inside the box in the 54th minute, earning his second caution and a red card. With Cape Verde reduced to ten men, Mikel Oyarzabal, introduced as a substitute, coolly dispatched the resulting penalty in the 61st minute, sending Vozinha the wrong way.

Spain managed the game expertly thereafter, rotating possession with their trademark fluency. The fourth goal came in the 78th minute: Fabián Ruiz picked out Nico Williams in behind the Cape Verde backline with a delicious diagonal, and the Athletic Bilbao winger finished emphatically low past Vozinha to cap a superb personal performance.

Cape Verde's only moment of note was a speculative long-range effort from Ryan Mendes in the 68th minute that Unai Simón gathered comfortably. The Blue Sharks — making their World Cup debut — were simply outclassed in every department. Spain, meanwhile, look every inch the tournament contenders they were billed as.