Spain’s shock 0-0 draw with Cape Verde in their World Cup opener was a wake-up call, defender Marc Cucurella said on Thursday, as the team prepared for a similar match against Saudi Arabia this weekend.
“Maybe this scare has made us alert,” Cucurella told reporters. “We realized that it is not easy to be here, that we have to be 100% focused in every match… because any team can beat you.”
“I think it’s good that it happened to us in the first game,” he continued. «Because maybe it will happen to you in another round and you’ll go home.» Spain weren’t the only top team to struggle in the opening match of the tournament, with Portugal and Belgium also seeing draws against lower-ranked opponents.
“It becomes clear, not only for us, that no match has been easy,” Cucurella said. “All the teams that came here are here because they qualified, because they are talented.” After being kept off the scoresheet by Cape Verde, Cucurella said Spain expected a similar challenge on Sunday when they faced Saudi Arabia, who drew 1-1 with Uruguay in their opening match.
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“A very good defensive team that will try to take advantage of their counter-attacks,” Cucurella said of Saudi Arabia, who recorded a stunning 2-1 victory over eventual champions Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.
Cucurella said Spain did not expect to repeat its unbeaten run from the 2024 European Championship at the World Cup, but the team is eager to bring its best version to the pitch on Sunday.
“We know what we missed, we’re working on it this week,” he said. “And hopefully we can play a great game and secure those three points.”
Published on June 19, 2026
