Rodri unhappy with opponent's tactics: Spain drops points in World Cup 2026 debut

The reigning European champions, the Spain national team, started the 2026 World Cup with an unexpected result. In the first round of the group stage, Luis de la Fuente's men played to a goalless draw (0:0) against Cape Verde, a tournament debutant. Despite the "La Roja" squad of world stars dominating for the entire match, they could not break through the Africans' solid defense. This is reported by Goal.com news reports.

After the match, Spain captain Rodri sharply criticized the opponent's style of play. The Manchester City midfielder emphasized that Cape Verde's overly defensive tactics negatively impacted the quality of the game. In his opinion, the opposing team preferred to survive around their own penalty area rather than play football.

"They didn't even cross the halfway line"

Rodri did not hide his frustration in an interview with La 1. "We knew patience was needed in games like this. They retreated to defense very quickly and 'parked the bus' in front of their goal. We had chances, but we couldn't capitalize on them. The most positive thing is that the opponent created almost nothing in front of our goal," the experienced footballer said.

Rodri also touched upon the opponent's lack of ambition: "That's their style of play — they didn't even cross the halfway line. Now we must focus on improving our finishing skills." For reference, Spain had absolute dominance in ball possession in the match held at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

During the game, a shot by Ferran Torres hit the crossbar, and in several other attacks, the Spaniards lacked precision. Even the introduction of Barcelona star Lamine Yamal 20 minutes before the end could not change the outcome. For Cape Verde, ranked 65th in the world, this result was equivalent to a true heroic feat.

Celebration in the Cape Verde camp

While the Spaniards were disappointed, representatives of Cape Verde, a country with a population of only 525,000, celebrated the draw like a victory. 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who became the hero of the match, made several saves in his 90th appearance to keep his team from conceding. The veteran keeper, named man of the match, noted that given their age, this result had been a great dream for them.

This draw puts additional pressure on the European champions on their way to the next stage. Now, Luis de la Fuente's team must achieve maximum results in the remaining group matches. Cape Verde, by earning its first point in its debut World Cup, has become one of the main sensations of the tournament.