Spain held to 0-0 by Cape Verde as punter loses $1m bet on European champions to win

Cape Verde held reigning European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw in their World Cup debut on Monday, producing one of the tournament’s most remarkable results and costing one bettor $1 million (£745,405) in the process.

Luis de la Fuente’s side dominated possession and created a string of chances, but a combination of poor finishing and an inspired display from Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha kept the scoreline level. The result marked a significant early stumble for a Spain side widely considered among the favourites for the tournament.

The financial fallout from the upset was stark. One punter had placed a $1 million wager on Spain securing an emphatic victory — a bet that would have returned a profit of £85,943. Instead, they lost the entire stake. A second bettor fared considerably better, turning a $400,000 (£298,000) position on Spain not winning into a return of £3.5 million. Both bets were placed on Polymarket, a US-based cryptocurrency prediction platform that has already been banned in Brazil and France.

Spain manager Luis de la Fuente was candid in his assessment after the final whistle. “We lacked freshness and finesse,” he said. “We need to keep working on our approach, improving our finishing, being more clinical. These are the kinds of matches where you create a lot of chances, but we lacked the necessary sharpness. They are a very organised team. From the first moment, we saw that they sat deep, with all 10 players practically in front of the penalty area.”

Manchester City midfielder Rodri was similarly frustrated, though he acknowledged Cape Verde’s disciplined defensive structure. “It wasn’t meant to be. We knew it was a game that required patience. They sat back and dropped back very quickly. We created chances but couldn’t finish. The positive thing is that they barely created anything against us.”

Rodri was less generous when pressed on Cape Verde’s approach. “That’s how they play. They don’t get past midfield. It’s a matter of improving our finishing.”

For Cape Verde, the draw represents a historic moment — their first World Cup appearance ending with a point against the holders of the European Championship. For Spain, the message from De la Fuente was clear: improvement in front of goal is non-negotiable if they are to progress.