Cape Verde earned a 0-0 draw against Spain in their Group H World Cup match on Monday, June 15, 2026, at Atlanta Stadium [1, 2].
Defender Roberto Lopes, 33, who was born in Ireland, played a crucial role in the defensive effort that kept Spain from scoring [1, 2]. Lopes praised his 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha’s performance, saying, "Thankfully our goalkeeper Vozinha, he was amazing and he deserves all the plaudits at 40 years of age and putting in performances like that" [1].
After the match, Lopes considered swapping jerseys with Spain striker Mikel Oyarzabal but chose to keep his own. He said, "I think I've had a word with myself in this tournament and I said, 'Do you know what, I'm going to break that sort of rule'... To be fair, that Cape Verde jersey, my first-ever World Cup jersey, that will be going back to Kilnamanagh. I'm glad I didn't swap it" [1].
Lopes’ family from Ireland attended the game, though he was unable to meet them afterward due to the post-match schedule. He explained, "I was just looking for my family and just wanted to celebrate that moment with them" [1].
Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha made multiple important saves throughout the match, helping preserve the clean sheet [1, 2].
Their next Group H match is against Uruguay on Sunday, June 21, 2026 [1, 2]. Uruguay recently drew 1-1 against Saudi Arabia in their World Cup campaign [1, 2].