Atlanta's first FIFA World Cup match is in the books. Cabo Verde — the third-smallest nation by population ever to play in a World Cup — held second-ranked Spain to a 0-0 draw on Monday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, renamed Atlanta Stadium for the duration of the tournament. It counts as the first major upset of the 2026 tournament.
The atmosphere inside and outside the stadium is what will stick. Cabo Verde fans traveled to Atlanta in family and neighborhood groups to see their country represented at a World Cup for the first time. "I think I know everyone that came down here — they're all my cousins," fan Julius Joseph told Channel 2 Action News reporters. "We're excited. It's our first time in the World Cup, so we had to come."
Spain's red and yellow was just as visible across downtown. Three brothers from Barcelona told Channel 2's Tyisha Fernandes that watching the national team abroad — "the whole team and the whole nation of Spain actually supporting the team" — hit differently than watching from home. Even some Spain supporters admitted they'd been warned Cabo Verde plays with heart. Both sides did.
Cabo Verde has played the World Cup exactly once — this one. Spain has played 17 times. The stat sheet said tie. Both fan bases said win.
"No matter what, we won. It's just — we're here, we're here, that's all that matters," one Cabo Verde fan told the crew leaving the stadium.
"We're 10 small islands. We have a big heart, and that's what we're going to exemplify on that field," fan Ashley Andrade added.
Monday's opener was the first of eight World Cup matches Atlanta will host.
Original reporting: Rough Draft Atlanta (June 15, 2026)