Cape Verde draw a wake-up call for Spain, says Cucurella
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group H – Spain v Cape Verde – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. – June 15, 2026 Spain’s Marc Cucurella IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Brett Davis
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June 18 : Spain’s shock 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their World Cup opener was a wake-up call, defender Marc Cucurella said on Thursday, with the team preparing for a similar match against Saudi Arabia this weekend.
“Maybe with this scare we’ve put ourselves on alert,” Cucurella told reporters. “We realised that it’s not easy to be here, that we have to be 100 per cent focused in every match … because any team can beat you.”
“I think it’s good that it happened to us in the first match,” he continued. “Because maybe it happens to you in another round and you go home.”
Spain were not the only top team to struggle in their opening game at the tournament, with Portugal and Belgium also held to draws by lower-ranked opponents.
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“It’s becoming clear, not just for us, that no match has been easy,” Cucurella said. “All the teams that have come here, are here because they qualified, because they’re talented.”
After being kept off the scoresheet by Cape Verde, Cucurella said Spain were expecting a similar challenge on Sunday when they face Saudi Arabia, who drew 1-1 with Uruguay in their opening game.
“A very good team defensively that will try to take advantage of their counter-attacking options,” Cucurella said of Saudi Arabia, who at the 2022 World Cup pulled off a stunning 2-1 victory over eventual champions Argentina.
Cucurella said Spain were not expecting to replicate their unbeaten run from the 2024 European Championship at the World Cup, but the team are eager to bring their best version to the pitch on Sunday.
“We know what we’ve missed, we’re working on it this week,” he said. “And hopefully we can play a great match and secure those three points.”
Source: Reuters
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