Cape Verde Stuns Spain: A 0-0 World Cup Shocker

The third-smallest nation ever to grace a World Cup. They pulled off one of the competition's most extraordinary results on Monday. Cape Verde frustrated Spain, plain and simple, through a Group H clash. 67,640 watched it go down at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, per Sky Sports.

The showstopper? Vozinha, 40. Last season, he was toiling in Portugal's second division. This time, he put on a clinic. Mikel Oyarzabal's header? Tipped over. Ferran Torres from close range? Denied. Aymeric Laporte's goalbound effort? Clawed away. Then he stuffed Mikel Merino and Marc Cucurella late. Four outstanding stops. Minimum.

His bodyguard, Pico Lopes from Shamrock Rovers, was just as immense. The Dubliner logged 11 clearances. Then, an 88th-minute desperation block, stopping Oyarzabal's certain winner. No chance.

Spain, though? They deserve a kick too. Torres shanked a first-half sitter, six yards out, off the bar. The whole rhythm was off, right from the opening whistle. Oyarzabal didn't touch the ball until minute 31. Let that sink in. Lamine Yamal offered a spark off the bench, opened things up a bit. Still, no breakthrough.

Cape Verde even sniffed a winner. Diney Borges, unmarked from a late corner. Blocked, meekly, into Unai Simon's waiting hands. Almost.

Spain's coach, predictably, spouted the usual post-game nonsense. "Zero doubts," he insisted, despite the shambles. Thirty-plus unbeaten, he reminded everyone. It wasn't ideas they lacked, he argued, but "freshness and a clinical edge." Sure, buddy.