#Spain #Cape #Verde #LIVE #Score #FIFA #World #Cup #ESP #CPV #Firsthalf #action #underway">Spain vs Cape Verde LIVE Score, FIFA World Cup 2026: ESP 0-0 CPV; First-half action underway
ESP vs CPV: Get the live coverage and updates for the 14th match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 between Spain and Cape Verde, played at Atlanta Stadium on June 15.
Updated : Jun 15, 2026 22:06 IST
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group H – Spain v Cape Verde – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. – June 15, 2026
Spain’s Pau Cubarsi and Pedri arrive before the match REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo
| Photo Credit:
BERNADETT SZABO
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group H – Spain v Cape Verde – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. – June 15, 2026
Spain’s Pau Cubarsi and Pedri arrive before the match REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo
| Photo Credit:
BERNADETT SZABO
elcome to Sportstar’s LIVE coverage of the 10th match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, featuring Spain and World Cup debutant Cape Verde, set to be played at Atlanta Stadium. Spain enters the tournament as one of the favourites after winning Euro 2024, while Cape Verde begins its first-ever World Cup campaign on football’s biggest stage. Jayantho Sengupta will take you through pre-match and minute-by-minute updates from this Group H clash.
It is the first time Spain will be taking on Cape Verde
Playing XI:
Spain (4-3-3):
Unai Simon, Marcos Llorente, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Fabian Ruiz, Gavi, Rodri (C), Pedri, Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal
Cape Verde (4-2-3-1):
Vozinha, Diney Borges, Pico Lopes, Sidny Lopes Cabral, Steven Moreira, Kevin Pina, Jovane Cabral, Jamiro Monteiro, Laros Duarte, Dailon Livramento, Ryan Mendes (C)
Where or how to watch Spain vs Cape Verde in FIFA World Cup 2026?
India: June 15, 9:30 pm IST; live on ZEE5 and Unite8 Sports TV channels.
USA: June 15, 12:00 pm ET; live on FOX in English, and Telemundo/Universo and Peacock in Spanish.
Bangladesh: June 15, 10:00 pm BST; live on BTV, Somoy TV and T Sports, with streaming on Toffee and Bioscope.
Spain: June 15, 6:00 pm CEST; live on RTVE/RTVE Play and DAZN.
Saudi Arabia: June 15, 7:00 pm AST; live on beIN Sports, with streaming on TOD and beIN CONNECT.
Alex Baena, Dani Olmo, Eric Garcia, Mikel Merino – Spain’s bench strength is insane
Spain’s strength is not just in the XI it has put out, but in the quality still waiting on the bench. David Raya, Pedro Porro, Martin Zubimendi, Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal are not reserve-level names. In many teams at this World Cup, they would be automatic starters. For Spain, they are options to change the game once legs begin to tire and spaces begin to open. That depth could matter more than ever in this expanded World Cup, where travel, heat, quick turnarounds and squad rotation will test every contender. The best team on paper may not always go the farthest. The team with the deepest bench might.
That special feeling of the being at the biggest stage of them all
For teams such as Curacao and Cape Verde, a World Cup debut is not just another fixture on the calendar. It is a national moment, the kind that travels far beyond the pitch and into homes, streets and communities that waited years to see their flag on this stage. Curacao had its first taste of that feeling yesterday, even if the result against Germany showed the scale of the step up. Today, Cape Verde gets its turn in Atlanta, and the opponent could hardly be bigger: Spain, the European champion. For Cape Verde’s players and fans, this is the start of a story that once felt distant. The first anthem, the first kick, the first attack and even the first difficult spell will all carry meaning. At the World Cup, debutants do not arrive only to make up the numbers. They arrive carrying a country’s dream.
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group H – Spain v Cape Verde – Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. – June 15, 2026 Cape Verde fans outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Cape Verde’s starting XI for tonight
Goalkeeper: Vozinha
Defenders: Diney Borges, Pico Lopes, Sidny Lopes Cabral, Steven Moreira
Midfielders: Kevin Pina, Jovane Cabral, Jamiro Monteiro, Laros Duarte
Forwards: Dailon Livramento, Ryan Mendes
Spain’s playing XI for tonight
Goalkeeper: Unai Simon
Defenders: Marcos Llorente, Aymeric Laporte, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella
#Injured #Yamal #stronger #World #Cup #Barcelonas #Flick">Injured Yamal will come back stronger at World Cup: Barcelona’s Flick
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said on Friday that injured teenage star Lamine Yamal would return to action at the World Cup this summer with Spain, even “stronger” than he is now.
The 18-year-old was ruled out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury which he suffered on Wednesday as Barcelona beat Celta Vigo in La Liga.
Yamal won and converted a penalty to help his side stay nine points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table, but immediately went down injured and was substituted.
“It’s not easy this situation for us, but also for him,” Flick told reporters.
“He knows it was his first muscle injury. What I can feel is that he is very focussed. He has the motivation — he is out for us, but I think for the World Cup he will be there and he will be stronger, (he will) come back stronger than now.”
Yamal, who finished second in the Ballon d’Or vote last year and helped Spain triumph at Euro 2024, has been a key figure in Barcelona’s attempt to defend its La Liga title.
Flick said that Yamal may have been hurt by the foul which brought him down for the penalty, but that he did not realise the situation he was in as he had not suffered such an injury before.
“He felt something after the foul, but I think it was not so much. And he decided to kick the penalty and after that it’s maybe more,” said Flick.
“He never had a muscle injury before, so it’s also part of learning about the signal the body gives you.
“It’s not so easy because he is really young, but at the end it’s an experience. And this is what he has to learn.”
Yamal has scored 24 goals and provided 18 assists this season for Barca across all competitions and has nine goals in his last 12 league matches.
“I really appreciate a lot the last weeks. He was on an unbelievable level. He’s more mature than 18,” added Flick.
“He’s clever, he’s smart and he knows what he wants. Of course, now this injury affects him also… but then you have to focus on what’s going on in the process to come back, to get fitter and fitter and better and better.”
Barcelona visits Getafe on Saturday while Madrid travels to Real Betis on Friday.
Yamal converted from the spot in the 39th minute against Celta Vigo, but went down seconds after the goal, clutching his left leg. He was helped off the field soon after by Barca’s medical team, as it went on to win 1-0.
“The player will follow a conservative treatment plan. Lamine Yamal will miss the remainder of the season and is expected to be available for the World Cup,” it added.
The 18-year-old has 24 goals and 18 assists for Barcelona in all competitions this season, helping the side remain in pole position to lift the La Liga title with 82 points from 32 games, nine ahead of second-placed Real Madrid.
Yamal converted from the spot in the 39th minute against Celta Vigo, but went down seconds after the goal, clutching his left leg. He was helped off the field soon after by Barca’s medical team, as it went on to win 1-0.
“The player will follow a conservative treatment plan. Lamine Yamal will miss the remainder of the season and is expected to be available for the World Cup,” it added.
The 18-year-old has 24 goals and 18 assists for Barcelona in all competitions this season, helping the side remain in pole position to lift the La Liga title with 82 points from 32 games, nine ahead of second-placed Real Madrid.
Published on Apr 23, 2026
#Lamine #Yamal #season #hamstring #injury #Barcelona">Lamine Yamal out for season with hamstring injury: Barcelona
Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal is out for the rest of the season after sustaining a thigh injury during his side’s La Liga 2025-26 match against Celta Vigo, the club confirmed on Thursday.
The Spanish league leader, however, said that he is likely to be available for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which is happening over the summer, where Spain will be looking for a second title.
“The tests carried out have confirmed that first-team player Lamine Yamal has an injury to the biceps femoris of his left leg,” Barcelona said in a statement.
Yamal converted from the spot in the 39th minute against Celta Vigo, but went down seconds after the goal, clutching his left leg. He was helped off the field soon after by Barca’s medical team, as it went on to win 1-0.
“The player will follow a conservative treatment plan. Lamine Yamal will miss the remainder of the season and is expected to be available for the World Cup,” it added.
The 18-year-old has 24 goals and 18 assists for Barcelona in all competitions this season, helping the side remain in pole position to lift the La Liga title with 82 points from 32 games, nine ahead of second-placed Real Madrid.
History offers slim comfort. Only once in the Champions League has a team overturned a 2-0 first-leg home defeat, when Manchester United beat Paris St Germain 3-1 in Paris in 2019.
Barcelona itself has managed just one greater escape in knockout competition, erasing a 4-0 loss to PSG with a 6-1 victory at Camp Nou in the 2016-17 last 16.
The task looks even steeper given recent history. Last month, Barcelona was knocked out of the Copa del Rey semifinals by Atletico after losing 4-0 in the first leg at the Metropolitano.
A 3-0 win in the return proved insufficient, sending Atletico into Saturday’s final against Real Sociedad.
Yamal, however, is adamant Barcelona will not give up without a fight.
“We promise that, if we’re knocked out, we’ll fight right to the end. We’ll give our all for this badge. It’ll be a match lasting 90 minutes or more; this isn’t over yet. A comeback is very much possible, which is why we’re here,” Yamal said.
History offers slim comfort. Only once in the Champions League has a team overturned a 2-0 first-leg home defeat, when Manchester United beat Paris St Germain 3-1 in Paris in 2019.
Barcelona itself has managed just one greater escape in knockout competition, erasing a 4-0 loss to PSG with a 6-1 victory at Camp Nou in the 2016-17 last 16.
The task looks even steeper given recent history. Last month, Barcelona was knocked out of the Copa del Rey semifinals by Atletico after losing 4-0 in the first leg at the Metropolitano.
A 3-0 win in the return proved insufficient, sending Atletico into Saturday’s final against Real Sociedad.
Yamal, however, is adamant Barcelona will not give up without a fight.
“We promise that, if we’re knocked out, we’ll fight right to the end. We’ll give our all for this badge. It’ll be a match lasting 90 minutes or more; this isn’t over yet. A comeback is very much possible, which is why we’re here,” Yamal said.
Published on Apr 13, 2026
#Lamine #Yamal #comeback #impossible #Barcelona #chases #UCL #history #Atletico #Madrid">Lamine Yamal says comeback is not impossible as Barcelona chases UCL history against Atletico Madrid
Lamine Yamal insisted on Monday that Barcelona must not treat a Champions League fightback at Atletico Madrid as something that is insurmountable.
Barcelona travels to the Metropolitano on Tuesday trailing 2-0 from the first leg of the quarterfinal tie, a deficit that leaves it staring at an exit from the competition unless it can conjure something extraordinary away from home.
“We mustn’t think of a comeback as a miracle,” Yamal told a press conference.
“I’ve been lucky enough that, ever since I was a child, I’ve had to take on more responsibility than I should have. I’m used to it. I just focus on enjoying it, on not seeing it as a problem, but as a strength. I’m grateful for everything that’s happening to me,” he added.
More than half of the side set to step out in Madrid emerged from La Masia, Barcelona’s youth academy, with 18-year-old Yamal widely viewed as the most dazzling product since Lionel Messi.
He burst onto the international stage by helping Spain win the 2024 European Championship and finished second in the 2025 Ballon d’Or vote.
“It’s very important to have lots of La Masia players on the pitch for matches like tomorrow’s. We’re all home-grown, we all love Barca. We know what a moment like this means. We’ll give it our all right to the end,” he said.
History offers slim comfort. Only once in the Champions League has a team overturned a 2-0 first-leg home defeat, when Manchester United beat Paris St Germain 3-1 in Paris in 2019.
Barcelona itself has managed just one greater escape in knockout competition, erasing a 4-0 loss to PSG with a 6-1 victory at Camp Nou in the 2016-17 last 16.
The task looks even steeper given recent history. Last month, Barcelona was knocked out of the Copa del Rey semifinals by Atletico after losing 4-0 in the first leg at the Metropolitano.
A 3-0 win in the return proved insufficient, sending Atletico into Saturday’s final against Real Sociedad.
Yamal, however, is adamant Barcelona will not give up without a fight.
“We promise that, if we’re knocked out, we’ll fight right to the end. We’ll give our all for this badge. It’ll be a match lasting 90 minutes or more; this isn’t over yet. A comeback is very much possible, which is why we’re here,” Yamal said.
#UEFA #Champions #League #Flick #ready #defend #emotional #teen #Yamal #criticism">UEFA Champions League 2025-26: Flick ready to defend ‘emotional’ teen Yamal against criticism
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he would defend teenage star Lamine Yamal against criticism for his occasional “emotional” outbursts, ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Atletico Madrid.
The 18-year-old winger did not celebrate Barca’s late winner in the 2-1 victory at Atletico in La Liga on Saturday that took the Catalans seven points clear at the top of the table.
Yamal was visibly irritated, with Spanish media reporting it was because a member of the Barcelona coaching staff admonished him from the sidelines for shooting when he could have passed.
The Spain international has also shown his anger at being substituted by Flick in the past, and the coach said he would back Yamal regardless.
“What we have to see is that Lamine is 18 years old and for me he’s an unbelievable player, you can see it when you watch the game again — what he’s doing is unbelievable,” Flick told reporters Tuesday.
“But he’s only 18, sometimes he’s angry when I substitute him. He had a situation, where he dribbled past four or five players and then shot and missed.
“Sometimes he’s frustrated he didn’t score this goal and he’s like that, he’s emotional, and this is good. I will always support him.”
Flick admitted Yamal’s shows of disapproval on the sideline sometimes create headlines that are not ideal for the team.
“He’s a fantastic player, on the right (path), we will help him develop,” the German coach said. “Not everything that he’s doing is good as it creates this noise around our team. I know everyone is looking to him because he’s a fantastic player but we also have to see that he’s 18 years old.
“Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. I said to him, no problem you can do it and I will always protect you. This is what I want for him, show everyone one the pitch how good he is and he will be one of the best, maybe the best player in the future.”
‘Fantastic’ Rashford
Yamal shone last season as he helped Barcelona to the Champions League semifinals, as close as it has come to the trophy since winning it in 2015.
Flick added that Marcus Rashford needs to press better when Barcelona does not have possession.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Flick added that Marcus Rashford needs to press better when Barcelona does not have possession.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters
Flick said the quarterfinal tie against Diego Simeone’s Atletico would be tricky to navigate, starting at Camp Nou on Wednesday in the first leg.
“Atletico is a tough team, they have the right attitude, a lot of intensity, fast players, fantastic players on the pitch. On Saturday they rested many players but the quality was very high. they love to defend, they know how to defend in a deep block, it’s not so easy to score two goals at Atletico. It’s always tough.
“There will be a lot of emotions in this game because it’s two legs, we try to give our best to get a good result tomorrow.”
Marcus Rashford is in line to start on the left flank in place of injured winger Raphinha. The England international, on loan from Manchester United, scored against Atletico on Saturday.
Flick said he still needed to improve on his defensive work rate but acknowledged Rashford was doing well, although he has not said if he wants the club to execute the purchase option they have for the forward.
“(Pressing) is also a part of our game which is very important, not just with the ball (where) everyone knows he’s fantastic,” said Flick. (Dribbling) one on one he’s doing really good, but to defend is also part of our game and part of football. But he’s doing good, he’s adapted a lot, and we need him… to help his team-mate on the flank.”
