Spain vs. Saudi Arabia: Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams ready to turn sterile possession into World Cup statement

At the risk of sounding a touch reactionary, Spain may have fallen in many observers' estimation after their failure to beat Cape Verde on Monday.

Heavily backed for a deep run before World Cup 2026, Luis de la Fuente's side arrived widely viewed as on a par with France or just below the 2018 champions and 2022 finalists among the leading favourites.

The fact that La Roja were tipped by many to have a stronger chance than current world champions Argentina of claiming the crown in North America was telling.

However, failing to beat the debuting Blue Sharks was certainly not part of the script.

Here, Sports Mole revisits what went wrong against Cape Verde and outlines what the 2010 world champions must put right against Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

How Spain floundered in World Cup opener vs. Cape Verde

Fans of a Spanish persuasion will recall the team's 2010 run, when they slipped up at the Moses Mabhida Stadium, losing 1-0 to Switzerland in Durban in their tournament opener, and Argentina's false start against Saudi Arabia four years ago, as proof that an unconvincing start is no indication of what is to come at the finals.

Yet it was not really the 0-0 draw against Cape Verde that disappointed, but the manner of the stalemate.

Even though De la Fuente's men attempted 27 shots on the day, they scarcely came close to scoring.

A deeper look at those attempts shows that 16 were from inside the African nation's penalty area, with 11 struck from distance.

Breaking it down further, nine of those 16 efforts inside the Cape Verde box came in the opening half, with four from range.

However, and perhaps tellingly, 50% of La Roja's 14 second-half attempts were from distance, underlining how the current European champions grew ever more desperate after the break to break down a stubborn Blue Sharks defence.

Opta's metrics after the first round of matches showed that only Uruguay attempted more crosses (34) than Spain's 27. The South American side were successful with nine such deliveries from wide areas while La Roja completed a paltry three, as Bubista's Blue Sharks held firm and refused to budge.

Without the stratospheric talent of Lamine Yamal to call on from the start or Nico Williams on the opposite flank, Spain relapsed into old habits of sterile possession.

No side completed more passes than the European champions' 734 in the first group-stage matches — 443 of which were in the final third, significantly more than any other team in the opening round of fixtures — yet they were frustrated by an organised, cohesive rearguard.

De la Fuente has embraced a more direct approach since taking the reins in December 2022; however, their limitations without the wide threat of Yamal and Williams were laid bare.

Will Spain respond to World Cup setback vs. Saudi Arabia?

Spain's stalemate with Cape Verde was jarring, yet it need not derail their World Cup ambitions ahead of facing Saudi Arabia.

The draw owed as much to context as to crisis: De la Fuente was without fully fit versions of his two most devastating weapons, Yamal and Williams, and Spain's attacking structure sagged accordingly.

Once Yamal entered, the picture shifted, even if he was short of rhythm after his two-month lay-off. The 18-year-old, nevertheless, injected urgency and variety, slinging in seven crosses and restoring some of the verticality that has defined Spain's evolution under De la Fuente.

The teenager emerged unscathed and has declared himself in perfect condition, an encouraging sign with Williams also edging back towards full sharpness.

Indeed, La Roja's issues felt tactical and personnel-based rather than existential.

Gavi's selection on the left, Ferran Torres's anonymity and a misfiring midfield left Marc Cucurella as their main outlet, an imbalance that is easily corrected with different choices, even if it remains to be seen how Yamal carries the nation's burden.

History also offers perspective: Spain recovered from an opening defeat in 2010 to lift the trophy just as Argentina did after losing to Saudi Arabia in 2022.

With their wide threats restored and lessons absorbed, Spain still look well placed to control Group H and reassert their credentials for a second world title.

A sluggish tournament opener is rarely a death sentence, and Spain will hope that their experience of seeming failure against the Blue Sharks galvanises them against the Saudis on Sunday.

If De la Fuentes' side showed against Cape Verde why they might not win the World Cup, they must now show why they can with a significantly improved performance against Georgios Donis's Green Falcons.

There is no reason to doubt their ability to turn it on in Atlanta.