Spain arrive at World Cup 2026 unbeaten in 30 games — but their tournament openers tell a very different story
In 16 World Cup openers, Spain have lost more than they've won. Riding a 30-game unbeaten run, La Furia arrive as favourites — but history urges caution.
Thirty games without a defeat. European champions. Title favourites. And yet Luis de la Fuente doesn't want to hear a single word about an easy opener. There's a good reason for that.
Spain's record in World Cup first games is, to put it mildly, uncomfortable. Across 16 appearances, according to ge, the balance is negative: 5 wins, 5 draws and 6 defeats. More stumbles than triumphs when the tournament kicks off.
The most recent trauma still stings. In 2014, in Brazil, Spain took to the pitch as reigning world champions and left the Arena Fonte Nova on the wrong end of a 5–1 thrashing by the Netherlands. Before that, they fell to Switzerland 1–0 in 2010 — the very same tournament they ended up lifting the trophy. And Brazil appears twice on the list of tormentors: 1934 and 1986.
There are good memories too, of course. The 7–0 against Costa Rica in 2022 and the 4–0 against Ukraine in 2006 show that Spain can open with authority. But consistency simply doesn't exist.
Now comes Cape Verde, in Atlanta, on a Monday at 1 p.m. (Brasília time). The favouritism is enormous — Golmetria's model gives Spain an 18% chance of winning the title, the highest of any team at the tournament. But Fuente is anything but relaxed.
"It's going to be a very difficult match," the coach told the newspaper Marca. And he went further: "They have players who perform in Europe, in demanding leagues," Fuente added, underlining his respect for the opposition.
History sends a clear message: no opener is a given. Spain know that better than anyone.
Atlanta will have the answer on Monday.