Rodri expressed his disappointment after Spain was held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in their opening Group H match of the 2026 World Cup on the night of June 15.
Despite fully controlling the game and possessing a squad of expensive stars, Spain was powerless against the tightly organized defense of the African representatives. The result is considered one of the biggest surprises since the beginning of the tournament.
However, speaking after the match, Spain’s Rodri stated that Cape Verde almost exclusively focused on defending and rarely organized attacks. “That is how they play. They barely crossed the halfway line. What we need to do is improve our finishing ability,” Rodri shared with La 1.
The 30-year-old star admitted that Spain anticipated a difficult match when the opponent proactively dropped their formation deep. However, what he regrets is that the red-shirted strikers could not capitalize on the chances created.
“This was a match that required patience. We created chances but could not score. Nevertheless, the positive point is that they hardly posed any danger to our goal,” Rodri added.
At the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Spain dominated in terms of ball possession and the number of chances created. Ferran Torres came closest to a goal with an effort that hit the crossbar. Meanwhile, prodigy Lamine Yamal was brought onto the pitch for the final 20 minutes but could not make a difference.
If Spain was deeply disappointed, Cape Verde was equally ecstatic. With a population of just around 525,000 people and participating in the World Cup for the first time, the African representatives celebrated the draw like a historic victory. The courageous performance helped Cape Verde secure a precious point and send out a strong affirmation that they completely deserve to be present on the world’s biggest stage.
