Spain should justify their position as World Cup favourites with a comfortable victory in their opening match against Cape Verde , with anything else likely to go down as one of the tournament’s big shocks.
The Spanish are second in the world rankings , the reigning European champions and 4/1 outright favourites with BOYLE Sports to walk off with their second world title this summer. Cape Verde , in contrast, are 67th in the world , playing in their first World Cup and are 4/7 to finish bottom of Group H.
It promises to be an epic mismatch but one that Spain need to take very seriously, with the Blue Sharks a nation on the up and potential banana skins against Saudi Arabia and Uruguay to come . We expect the 2010 world champions to get off to a flyer at Atlanta Stadium and our opening Spain vs Cape Verde prediction is a Spain win with over 3.5 goals in total @ 20/21.
Betting Odds
Spain vs Cape Verde Betting Odds – 2026 World Cup
Result | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Spain | 1/10 | 90.9% |
Cape Verde | 22/1 | 4.3% |
Draw | 9/1 | 10% |
*Odds are correct at the time of writing, but subject to change.
Spain are 1/10 favourites to beat Cape Verde , who are 22/1 for the win, with the draw at 9/1.
How to Watch
How to watch Spain vs Cape Verde
The World Cup Group H match is scheduled to begin at 17:00 BST on Monday and will be shown live on ITV .
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Form Guides
Spain Form Guide
Spain have lost just twice in 39 matches since March 2023 and one of those defeats was on penalties against Portugal in last summer’s Nations League final. It’s a phenomenal run which included five successive clean-sheet victories during their World Cup qualifying campaign before ending with a 2-2 draw against Turkey, and saw them top the world rankings.
Their results this year have seen Luis de la Fuente’s men beat Serbia 3-0 and Peru 3-1 either side of draws with Egypt (0-0) and Iran (1-1 ), with the in-form Mikel Oyarzabal netting three of La Roja's seven goals. The Real Sociedad stalwart has now scored in each of his last six international appearances and he could be a good bet @ 1/2 to add to that tally against Cape Verde in our Spain World Cup 2026 tips.
Mikel Merino , who alongside Oyarzabal was Spain’s joint-top scorer in qualifying with six goals, is 6/5 to get on the scoresheet while Barcelona winger Ferran Torres is 8/11 in the Spain vs Cape Verde odds.
Cape Verde Form Guide
Like Spain, Cape Verde are in decent nick heading into their maiden World Cup , with their only defeat since 2024 being March’s 4-2 loss to Chile. Their calibre of opposition may not have been at the same level as Spain’s during that run but they have still proven a tough nut to crack, and showed they can mix it with bigger nations by reaching the quarter-finals of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Blue Sharks failed to qualify for the most recent AFCON edition but reaching a maiden World Cup will have offset that disappointment. Under the guidance of 2025 CAF Coach of Year Bubista, the scarcely-populated former Portuguese archipelago warmed up for their first meeting with Spain by beating both Serbia and Bermuda 3-0 , so confidence should be high.
Interestingly, Cape Verde’s nine goals in 2026 have all been scored by different players, which could bring BOYLE Sports’ Sub Swap feature into play as it is ideal for teams who don't rely on any one player for goals. However, we don’t think that will be a factor against the European champions and a Spain clean sheet (under 0.5 away goals) @ 8/15 rounds off our Spain vs Cape Verde World Cup tips today.
Betting Tips
Spain vs Cape Verde Betting Tips
Spain to win & over 3.5 goals @ 20/21
Mikel Oyarzabal to score at any time @ 1/2
Cape Verde under 0.5 goals @ 8/15
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