Mikel Merino has admitted that Spain are still processing the emotional blow of their surprise draw against Cape Verde, describing the squad's mood in the aftermath as one of genuine mourning.

The result — a shock point dropped against one of the tournament's underdogs in their very first match — has rattled a side widely considered among the favourites for the World Cup.

Merino acknowledged that the draw was difficult to accept, with Spain having arrived at the competition with high expectations and a strong squad capable of going all the way.

Cape Verde's resilience proved enough to deny Spain the winning start they had anticipated, leaving the European champions to reflect on what went wrong and how quickly they can recover.