As many fans anticipated, Spain’s opening Group H fixture was dominated by relentless Spanish pressure throughout the first half.

However, few would have predicted that Spain would head into the break tied 0-0 with Cape Verde, despite unleashing 13 attempts on goal and generating an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.33 in their favour.

Amid the goalmouth chaos and outstanding saves from Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, one Spanish player managed to etch his name into World Cup history by breaking a record that had stood for six decades.

Spain’s frontline—noticeably missing the youthful creativity of Lamine Yamal—struggled to find its rhythm in the opening half against Cape Verde.

Among the 13 first-half shots that failed to find the back of the net, striker Mikel Oyarzabal did not touch the ball until just before the 40th minute, thereby setting an unwanted record at the tournament.

Despite his late involvement, Oyarzabal has proven his worth for Spain in the past—he is a player who can make the difference when he gets on the ball.

The Real Sociedad forward enjoyed an impressive 2025/26 La Liga season, scoring 15 goals. For his club, he averaged more than 37 touches per game across 34 appearances, a stark contrast to his minimal involvement in this particular match.

Incredibly, Oyarzabal became the first player since 1966 to go 30 minutes in a World Cup match without touching the ball.

Even after finally getting a touch, Spain continued to struggle to supply their striker effectively. The 29-year-old managed two chances before half-time—both headers—one forcing a save and the other drifting just wide of the right post.

The absence of Lamine Yamal’s inventiveness was particularly evident, leaving Spain lacking a creative spark in attack.

Despite these issues, Luis De La Fuente’s side still dominated proceedings in every metric except scoring. Spain completed more than twice as many passes as Cape Verde, controlled 70% of possession, and limited their opponents to just three shots with a total xG of 0.04.

The match ultimately ended in a frustrating 0-0 stalemate. If Spain are to improve as the tournament progresses, ensuring their striker sees the ball before the half-hour mark might be a good place to start.