Spain will play their first match of the FIFA World Cup against Cape Verde, a new force from Africa. Spain has participated in the FIFA World Cup 16 times before, with a record of only 5 wins, 4 draws, and 7 losses in their opening matches.
Spain once went on an 8-game winless streak in their FIFA World Cup opening matches, failing to win any of their 20th-century FIFA World Cup openers after 1950. In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Spain lost their first match 0-1 to Switzerland, but they ultimately won the championship, becoming the first team to win the title after losing their opening game.
Spain's FIFA World Cup Opening Match Record
1934 Round of 16, Spain 3-1 Brazil
1950 Group Stage, Spain 3-1 USA
1962 Group Stage, Spain 0-1 Czechoslovakia
1966 Group Stage, Spain 1-2 Argentina
1978 Group Stage, Spain 1-2 Austria
1982 Group Stage, Spain 1-1 Honduras
1986 Group Stage, Spain 0-1 Brazil
1990 Group Stage, Spain 0-0 Uruguay
1994 Group Stage, Spain 2-2 South Korea
1998 Group Stage, Spain 2-3 Nigeria
2002 Group Stage, Spain 3-1 Slovenia
2006 Group Stage, Spain 4-0 Ukraine
2010 Group Stage, Spain 0-1 Switzerland
2014 Group Stage, Spain 1-5 Netherlands
2018 Group Stage, Spain 3-3 Portugal
2022 Group Stage, Spain 7-0 Costa Rica