Cape Verde produced one of the most remarkable results in recent World Cup history on Monday, holding reigning European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw in Atlanta on their tournament debut.

A resolute defensive display, anchored by an extraordinary performance from veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, stunned a Spanish side that dominated possession and created chance after chance without reward.

World Cup debut at 40 for Vozinha

Vozinha, who turns out for Chaves in Portugal's second division, celebrated his 40th birthday on 3 June — making him the second-oldest player ever to make his World Cup debut. Only Egypt's Essam El-Hadary, who was 45 years and 161 days old at the 2018 tournament, debuted at a later age.

Spain registered 27 attempts on goal across the 90 minutes, with Vozinha making seven saves. Since 1966, the only goalkeeper aged 40 or above to record more saves in a single World Cup match is Northern Ireland's Pat Jennings, who made 10 stops against Brazil in 1986.

Cape Verde's disciplined shape was equally striking: they conceded just one foul throughout the entire match — the fewest by any side in a World Cup game on record since 1966. That foul, committed by Sidny Lopes Cabral in the first half, earned him a yellow card.

Spain's goalscoring drought deepens

Spain have not scored at the World Cup since Alvaro Morata's header in the 11th minute against Japan in their final group game at Qatar 2022. In the matches that have followed, they have attempted 49 shots and strung together 2,500 passes without finding the net.

The Japan defeat was followed by a 0-0 draw against Morocco in the last 16 — a tie Spain ultimately lost on penalties — and now another stalemate to open their 2026 campaign.

Striker Mikel Oyarzabal, whose winning goal in the Euro 2024 final against England made him a national hero, did not register a single touch in the opening 30 minutes against Cape Verde. Opta have no record of this happening to a starting player in a World Cup match since 1966.

A familiar slow start for Spain

Spain's opening-match record at World Cups is a curious one. In their past 15 appearances at the tournament, they have won the first game on only three occasions, drawing five and losing seven.

Notably, one of those seven opening losses came in 2010 — the year they lifted the trophy for the first time. But momentum has been harder to find since that triumph in South Africa.

A group-stage exit in 2014 was followed by consecutive last-16 defeats in 2018 and 2022. Across the 12 matches Spain have played since beating the Netherlands in the 2010 final, they have won only three times.