Competition
World Cup 2026
The Spain striker has shattered a long-standing World Cup record during the match against Cape Verde.
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As supporters might have anticipated, Group H's opening match featured relentless waves of Spanish dominance in the first half.
Perhaps more surprising was that Spain entered the halftime break level at 0-0 with Cape Verde, despite an impressive 13 shots and 1.33 expected goals in their favor.
Amid the goal-line clearances and heroic efforts from Cape Verde's goalkeeper, Vozinha, one Spanish player managed to break a remarkable World Cup record that had stood for 60 years.
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Spain striker Mikel Oyarzabal breaks incredible 60-year World Cup record against Cape Verde in Group H
Spain's attack, notably missing Lamine Yamal, lacked clinical finishing in the first half against Cape Verde.
Of the 13 shots that the Spaniards failed to convert in the opening period, their striker, Mikel Oyarzabal, did not get involved until just before the 40th minute, setting a disappointing World Cup record.
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The Real Sociedad striker had a prolific La Liga campaign during the 2025/26 season, netting 15 goals.
For his club, he averaged over 37 touches per game in his 34 appearances, but football fans would not have guessed that from his first-half performance against Cape Verde.
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Oyarzabal failed to touch the ball in the opening 30 minutes of a World Cup match—the first time this has happened since 1966 in the tournament.
Getting the ball to the striker's feet continued to be a challenge, even after he received his first long-awaited touch of the ball.
The 29-year-old ended the half with two chances, both headers, forcing a save from one and sending the other wide of the right post.
Despite Spain's struggles to involve Oyarzabal, the first half went Luis De La Fuente's way in every aspect except for finding the back of the net.
The Spaniards completed well over double the passes of Cape Verde, holding 70% possession, and conceded just three shots with a combined expected goals total of 0.04.
The match ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw, so if Spain are to improve going forward, perhaps getting the ball to their striker before the 30th minute would be a wise strategy.
Kedar Bayley is a trained journalist specializing in culture reporting. As a fan of Liverpool FC, he frequently writes about the Reds. Knowledgeable about all things sports, cinema, and television, you can find his words in Screen International, FourFourTwo, Manchester Evening News, and more.
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