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The European champions are stopped by Cape Verde, while the "Red Devils" escape defeat by Egypt. Two of the favorites start the World Cup with a false step.
The 2026 World Cup has delivered surprises that few expected in its opening days. Within a few hours, two of the teams considered favorites to go far in the tournament have disappointed in their first matches.
It was Spain who first shocked the football world, holding out for a 0-0 draw against debutants Cape Verde. The reigning European champions dominated the match in Atlanta but came up against an impenetrable wall erected by veteran goalkeeper Vozinha and the Africans' heroic defence.
The result was immediately hailed as the biggest upset of the World Cup so far, with the Spanish media exploding with criticism of Luis de la Fuente's team. Rodri openly admitted his disappointment after the match.
" It shouldn't have happened like this. We created chances but we couldn't score. When you face teams like this you have to be more efficient ," the Spanish midfielder declared.
But if Spain failed to win, Belgium came even closer to a sporting disaster. In Seattle, the Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw by Egypt, in a challenge where the Africans were very close to a historic victory.
Egypt surprised everyone when they took the lead in the 20th minute with a spectacular goal from Emam Ashour. The Belgians attacked in the second half, but faced great difficulties in the face of the opposition's organization. Kevin De Bruyne hit the post, while the equalizer came only thanks to an own goal by Hany in the 66th minute.
Even at the end of the match, Belgium came close to overturning Mechele, but the Egyptian goalkeeper reacted fantastically, keeping the score at 1-1.
Thus, two of the biggest names in European football start the World Cup with missteps, while Cape Verde and Egypt have shown that there will be no small opponents in this tournament.
After the draws between Spain and Belgium, the first message of the World Cup is clear: name and history are no longer enough. In North America, surprises have started in the first week and the favorites already know that any match can turn into a trap.
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