Spain vs Cape Verde: Yamal benched in a frustrating 0-0 opener

Spain's World Cup opener ended 0-0 against Cape Verde Islands in Atlanta, despite Spain naming four Barcelona starters and controlling large stretches of the game. Lamine Yamal began on the bench after returning from a hamstring injury suffered in April while playing for Barcelona, and the favourites never found a way through.

How Spain set up the opener

Luis de la Fuente went with Pau Cubarsí, Pedri, Ferran Torres and Pablo Gavi in the XI. That was a clear sign Spain wanted to lean into familiar combinations, even with Yamal available only as an impact option.

De la Fuente said: "Lamine is in perfect condition. He makes it to the [first game] in the physical condition we expected him to. He has trained excellently, and we have all players available. He is not in a position to play the full 90 minutes, but he can participate if we feel it's needed."

Spain still created chances. They finished with 2.29 xG and the ball spent most of the night where they wanted it. But Cape Verde Islands stayed organised, Vozinha produced seven saves, and Spain came away with a blank scoreline.

Why the result still points to Spain's problem

This was not a game where Spain lacked control. Pedri was the standout, playing 94 minutes, completing 96 passes and posting an 8.9 rating. Pau Cubarsí added 109 passes, while Marcos Llorente and Fabián Ruiz both contributed to the volume of attacks from midfield and full-back areas.

The issue was the finish, not the shape. Vozinha kept everything in front of him and made Spain work for every opening. Yamal's 23 minutes underline that Spain treated him as a late-game solution rather than a starter, which makes sense after a hamstring layoff, but it also left the attack without its most explosive option from the start.

There is a fair argument that Cape Verde Islands earned the draw as much as Spain failed to take it. This was Cape Verde's first World Cup match, and they handled the occasion well. Even so, Spain generated enough to win. A team that posts 2.29 xG and still leaves without a goal has a finishing problem, regardless of selection tweaks.

Spain will look at the opener and see possession, territory and a strong showing from Pedri. They will also see a match they were expected to win and did not. The next game will tell us whether the 0-0 was a one-off or the first sign that the final pass and final shot need more than a cautious bench plan.