Spain’s World Cup opener against Cape Verde Islands is more of a selection test than a result watch. Mikel Oyarzabal is expected to lead the line, Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are available but not expected to start, and Dani Olmo is pushing for a place in a front line that sources say is still being managed carefully.
Why Spain are likely to stay conservative up front
The clearest sign of caution is simple enough: Yamal and Williams are fit, but neither is expected to begin against Cape Verde Islands. Victor Muñoz is also ruled out of the starting plan after recovering from a calf issue or muscular overload concern in the build-up.
That leaves Spain with a more measured attacking setup for the first game. Fabián Ruiz, Rodri and Pedri are expected to form the midfield base, which is the steadier part of the side and gives Luis de la Fuente room to be selective in the final third.
Why Oyarzabal keeps forcing his way into the XI
Oyarzabal is hard to leave out because the numbers are not small or noisy, they are clean. He has 12 goals in his last 12 appearances for Spain, and he scored 15 La Liga goals last season for Real Sociedad. He also finished with 18 goals in all competitions last season and reached 100 league goals for Real Sociedad.
Matt Law said: "I'm so surprised that he hasn't been picked up by an elite club, considering his record, with 12 goals in his last 12 games for Spain."
He added: "He's my outside shout for the potential top scorer at the tournament."
That is why Oyarzabal looks like the safest attacking pick in the squad. Spain can keep the wider debate open, but the striker spot is the one he has most clearly earned.
Olmo has a record in sight too
Olmo has a more specific target. If he scores Spain’s opening goal again, he would become only the second player to do so in two different World Cups. [Xabi Alonso] is the only player to have done it before, and Olmo already scored Spain’s opening goal against Costa Rica in Qatar four years ago.
His Barcelona season also explains why he remains firmly in the conversation, with 8 goals and 9 assists in 46 matches. Spain do not have to force him into the XI for the record angle to matter, but if he starts, he brings a different route to goal than the wingers around him.
For now, though, the main question is whether de la Fuente leans into form with Oyarzabal, manages the minutes of Yamal and Williams, or reshapes the attack to fit Olmo in from the start. The answer arrives against Cape Verde Islands.
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