WC 2002-2022
Cape Verde vs Spain
No meeting in this window
—
WC 2026 · HEAD-TO-HEAD · GROUP H MEETING
🇨🇻
Cape Verde
GROUP HFIFA #690 PL
vs
🇪🇸
Spain
GROUP HFIFA #27 PL
WHAT THIS MATCHUP MEANS
The story before a ball is kicked
Cape Verde arrive in Group H as the underdog seed with 0 Premier League players in their squad. Spain share that group as the world's elite — top-five FIFA ranked with 7 PL regulars.
The two meet directly in the group stage. The result is critical — Group H's order through R32 is decided across just three matchdays, and head-to-head between equally-ranked teams is the second tiebreaker after points.
The pre-match weight of evidence leans Spain's way clearly. Below: a six-dimension head-to-head, the Premier League club distribution per squad, and the Onside verdict.
INTERACTIVE · COMBINED DREAM XI
Build the best XI from BOTH squads
Tap any pitch slot to pick from Cape Verde + Spain. Switch formation any time. Saved on this device.
0 / 11CPV 0·ESP 0
Sources: official 26-man squads via football-data.org · Premier League roster fallback when feed lags. Loading saved picks…
HEAD-TO-HEAD · 6 DIMENSIONS
Cape Verde vs Spain — where each one wins
Each row scores the two teams 0–100 on a dimension. Longer bar = stronger. The colour-coded chip on the right names the winner of each axis.
FormHow strong they are on paper (FIFA world ranking)
ESP +6831
99
PL footprintHow many Premier League players are in the squad
ESP +320
32
Host edgeWhether they have home advantage as a host nation
LEVEL0
0
Group seedSeed position in their group of four
ESP +7525
100
ConfedTheir confederation's historical tournament strength
ESP +3260
92
ExperienceA proxy for tournament heritage (rank + confederation)
ESP +7029
99
Cape Verde
Spain
SQUAD CLUBS · PL PERSPECTIVE
Whose PL players are at the World Cup
If you own any of these clubs' assets in FPL, this matchup matters to your pre-season — tournament minutes here become Saturday minutes in August.
SQUAD · PL CLUB BREAKDOWN
Cape Verde
No current Premier League regulars in this 26-man squad. Cape Verde's tournament path won't directly shape FPL 2026/27 ownership decisions, but breakout performers here often become next-season targets.
SQUAD · PL CLUB BREAKDOWN
Where Spain's 7 PL players come from
For FPL managers: if you own any of these clubs' assets, Spain's tournament minutes shape your pre-season. Arsenal leads with 3 players (43%).
Arsenal3 · 43%
Spurs1 · 14%
Chelsea1 · 14%
Man City1 · 14%
Crystal Palace1 · 14%
ONSIDE VERDICT
Edge to Spain · clearly
- ·Spain sit #2 in the FIFA world ranking — 67 places clear of Cape Verde.
- ·Spain's squad carries 7 Premier League regulars vs Cape Verde's 0 — sharper match-fitness coming into the tournament.
- ·Historical confederation strength leans heavily Spain's way — every WC since 1934 has been won by a UEFA or CONMEBOL side.
REFERENCE · AXIS BREAKDOWN
| Axis | Cape Verde | Spain | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form | 31 | 99 | ESP +68 |
| PL footprint | 0 | 32 | ESP +32 |
| Host edge | 0 | 0 | level |
| Group seed | 25 | 100 | ESP +75 |
| Confed | 60 | 92 | ESP +32 |
| Experience | 29 | 99 | ESP +71 |
OTHER COMPARISONS
HEAD-TO-HEAD · MODEL RATINGS
Cape Verde vs Spain
CAPE VERDE
SPAIN
FORM SCORE
40
97
ATTACK
35
93
DEFENCE
30
87
EXPERIENCE
20
83
SQUAD-STRENGTH BREAKDOWN
Strength by department
CAPE VERDE
- Attack20
- Midfield20
- Defence15
- GK10
SPAIN
- Attack78
- Midfield73
- Defence68
- GK58
PREVIOUS WORLD CUP ENCOUNTERS
No previous WC encounters
These two haven't met at a World Cup in our 2002-2022 window. Qualifier + friendly history will be added as football-data feed warms up.
Source: openfootball/worldcup.json (CC0). World Cup 2002 → 2022 inclusive.
KEY PLAYERS · BOTH SIDES
The match-defining names
CAPE VERDE
Top-3 by projected xP/90 — these are the players the model rates as match-defining for Cape Verde.
View full Cape Verde squad →SPAIN
Top-3 by projected xP/90 — these are the players the model rates as match-defining for Spain.
View full Spain squad →WC MATCHDAY BRIEF · ONE LIST, TWO SEASONS
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