Spain start WC run against debutants Cape Verde today

ATALANTA, June 14 (Agencies): Spain arrive in Atlanta with the air of a team expecting a long World Cup summer, but on Monday they face opponents carrying an equally powerful feeling: the giddy disbelief of a nation seeing its name on the tournament board for the first time.
The European champions open their Group 'H' campaign against Cape Verde at the Atalanta Stadium, with Uruguay and Saudi Arabia also in the section, in a fixture that looks on paper like a meeting of different football planets.
Luis de la Fuente's side have become close to immovable over the last four years, going 30 matches unbeaten since a 1-0 friendly loss to Colombia at Wembley in March 2024.
Since then Spain have recorded 23 wins and seven draws playing some of the most entertaining, attacking football seen in recent times.
The only wrinkle in that spotless-looking run was a 5-4 penalty defeat to Portugal in the 2025 Nations League final after a 2-2 draw following extra time. But Spain's left wing-back Alex Grimaldo believes that the 2010 champions can emulate their Golden Generation. "I see us as favourites," a confident Grimaldo told AFP ahead of his first World Cup.
"The stats are things of the past. We have to concentrate on the day-to-day and go into the first game against Cape Verde as well-prepared as possible.