Jamal leads Spain's ambition in the World Cup.

Spain, the European champion, enters the World Cup with the highest ambitions ahead of its first match tomorrow, Monday (12:00 local time, 16:00 GMT), in Atlanta against Cape Verde, relying on a crucial weapon in its rising talent Lamine Yamal, who has recovered from a thigh injury.

The Spaniards do not want to hear this statistic: their national team has not won any knockout matches in the World Cup since its victory in 2010.

After its first title in history, "La Roja" exited in the group stage in 2014, and then was eliminated twice in the Round of 16 in 2018 and 2022 on penalties.

Alex Grimaldo, the substitute for Marc Cucurella at left-back, told AFP: "These are things of the past. We focus on our daily work and on being as ready as possible. The team has great confidence and immense enthusiasm to compete in a major tournament. We have very high potential."

Similarly, the rest of the team and coaching staff rely on more recent data: "La Roja" is the current European champion after winning the final of the 2024 edition against England. Additionally, its last defeat dates back to over two years ago (March 2024) against Colombia (1-0).

Since then, the national team has not lost any of its last thirty matches in regular time, despite falling in the final of the UEFA Nations League in June 2025 against Portugal on penalties (2-2, 5-3).

Thanks to this situation and this dynamic, Spain is among the "favorites," as Grimaldo confirms. Goalkeeper David Raya added on Saturday: "We know we are the European champions, that we have a great team, and we handle that very naturally."

At the Baylor School in Chattanooga (Tennessee), the main camp where "amazing vibes" prevail, according to the Arsenal goalkeeper, all indicators seem positive.

The team is fully staffed and is counting on the return of its forwards Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal, who suffered thigh injuries at the end of the season. The Athletic Bilbao winger has not participated for a month, while the Barcelona talent has been absent since April 22.

Coach Luis de la Fuente confirmed that both "will be available" against Cape Verde. According to defender Pedro Porro, they have "fully recovered" and have been training normally with the group since this week.

Will they start the match? The question remains open after they missed the last friendly match against Peru (3-1) last weekend. The medical staff will not take any risks in this opening match against the 67th-ranked team in the world.