The Rondo: Is Spain-Cape Verde the best scoreless draw ever?

World Cup Rondo

The tournament has delivered plenty of excitement, and after just a week of action, there is evidence to suggest that it could get even better.

And so we have made it through nearly a week of World Cup action. It is, genuinely, quite hard to believe that this thing kicked off six days ago. We have played 16 games, seen one massive blowout, and a fair few surprises sprinkled in. The content has been consistent, and no one, except probably lowly, charming Curacao, has been embarrassed on the day. Indeed, this has been a good tournament complete with good teams.

Yet there is a sense that things are just starting to simmer. This is the biggest World Cup ever, with 48 team participating. Gianni Infantino promised "104 Super Bowls", which sounds like quite a lot of Super Bowls. So far, we haven't quite had a World Cup classic. There have been a handful of remarkably enjoyable games, with a few forgettable contests sprinked in. Perhaps this thing needs a big ole to spring into life.

Either way, there are some early storylines forming. The USMNT showed in a 4-1 battering of Paraguay that they might be good after all. Cape Verde, in a 0-0 draw with Spain, delivered perhaps the most famous scoreless draw in tournament history. And there's been plenty of captivating atruff in between. To make sense of it all, GOAL writers weigh in in another edition of... The Rondo.

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What has been the game of the tournament so far?

Tom Hindle: It's funny, because the tournament has sort of simmered without really coming to a boil. Perhaps that's the World Cup we expected, but it has also led to a few disappointing contests. The pick of the bunch so far was actually the one lightest on the goals, but heaviest on energy, Ecuador vs. Ivory Coast. It was a minor miracle that the game finished just 1-0 - and Amad Diallo's late winner was a thing of beauty.

Ryan Tolmich: Take your pick from one of Sunday's games. Germany and Curacao were fun, Sweden put on a show and the Ecuador/Cote d'Ivoire game was so evenly matched. For my money, though, it's Japan and the Netherlands. These were two very good teams going blow for blow with a late equalizer to earn a split of the points. That was a high-level World Cup game, one worthy of the knockouts early on in this group stage.

Alex Labidou: There a lot of impressive starts, ranging from Australia to Sweden, but there’s only one answer here: The USMNT. There’s a heavy weight of expectation that comes from being a host, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side delivered there and inspired the country. Yes, its way too early to get wrapped into one result, but you play the matches you’re given and the team was emphatic here.

USA v Paraguay: Group D - FIFA World Cup 2026

Who has surprised you the most?

TH: The snobby answer? No one, really. Cape Verde were always going to be defensively resolute. Every result kind of fell the right way, otherwise. The actual answer? The USMNT, because what the HECK was that first half against Paraguay? Magical stuff, that was so much more than host nation plot armor.

RT: Cape Verde is the easy answer, but it still might be the USMNT. To put on the performance they did in that game under that level of pressure? It was so, so impressive and also pretty damn surprising. Many would have picked the USMNT to win, of course, but few could have seen that level of performance coming, and it's the type of performance that changes perspectives on a team.

AL: Australia. Based on their squad and what they scored prior to the World Cup, one wouldn’t expect them to beat Turkiye so completely, but they did just that. The USMNT better not take this team lightly or there might be a new group leader Friday night.

Spain v Cabo Verde: Group H - FIFA World Cup 2026

Who has been a little disappointing?

TH: Spain. Sure, Cape Verde were really good defensively, but the reigning European champions lacked a bit of an attacking edge. 90 minutes of Lamine Yamal, you'd imagine, would change things. But otherwise? A tough one for the favorites.

RT: Again, Spain is an easy answer, but so are Ecuador. You knew who they were entering this tournament: an elite defensive team. You also knew the question marks: their attack. Even so, many pegged them as dark horses to contend because that defense was so good. Well, it wasn't good enough in their opener as they conceded more than a few chances to Cote d'Ivoire. It's hard to really imagine them as contenders now after seeing their flaws so exposed in their first game.

AL: Spain are the easy choice, BUT that result echoes the Argentina-Saudia Arabia result from four years ago. One would have to imagine they’d regroup and push forward, they’re too good. So let’s go with Turkiye. Some were calling this team a dark horse to go far in the World Cup, but they lacked identity against Australia. They get Paraguay next, which on paper might seem like an easy one, but it wouldn’t be surprising at all if they drop that one too.

Football Fans Watch Scotland V Haiti In The 2026 FIFA World Cup

Who's had the best fans?

TH: Well, there's been a ton of really good ones so far. But how about Scotland, if only for their ability to take over not only Boston Stadium, but also Fenway Park and pretty much the whole city with their antics? They've added a real joy to this thing, which is what football needs.

RT: Scotland, by far. If you haven't seen, go look up their takeover of Fenway Park. Thousands of Scots singing their songs at one of American sports' most historic venues? That's what a World Cup is all about.

AL: Brazil, Scotland, Haiti (yes, there’s some bias here) - in that order.

Spain v Cabo Verde: Group H - FIFA World Cup 2026

How shocking was Spain’s 0-0 draw with Cape Verde?

TH: Well, considering Spain are either favorite No. 1 or favorite No. 2, and Cape Verde are playing in their first World Cup, pretty shocking. However, the circumstances around the tournament might set up a few of these: tired legs, warm stadiums, unfamiliar surfaces, hydration breaks. Still, you'd expect Spain to win these - no matter what.

RT: Extremely. Yes, Spain has a history of passing the ball around aimlessly without scoring, but it's safe to say that they still probably should have gotten a goal or five in this game anyway. It never came, for various reasons. Now, they have a lot of work to do to avoid a date with Argentina in the knockouts, which means it'll be a long week for La Roja.

AL: Alarming for sure, but one would expect Lamine Yamal to start against Saudi Arabia. If he doesn’t, this might get really concerning.

Spain v Cabo Verde: Group H - FIFA World Cup 2026

Who is your early favorite?

TH: DESPITE EVERYTHING... still Spain. Random draw be damned, they're better than everyone else. This reeks of getting the bad one out of the way before going on to win the whole damn thing.

RT: I don't think we've seen them play yet. France, Argentina, Portugal and England might be the four best teams in this thing. Let's revisit once we see how those teams handle it all.

AL: We haven’t seen the best of the tournament play yet, but if we want to enter overreaction zone, let’s give the Swedes a shout. The Graham Potter redemption tour might have started earlier this week as the Englishman got his Sweden revving against an overwhelmed Tunisia. It was so poor, the opposition fired their manager shortly after. Let’s see if Potter and Co. can keep it up against the Netherlands.