World Cup Day Four: Cape Verde Stun Spain as Saudi Arabia and Belgium Both Draw, and New Zealand Hold Iran

Cape Verde produced the shock of the tournament so far, holding reigning European champions Spain to a goalless draw in Atlanta, while Belgium were pegged back by a resilient Egypt side to share the spoils 1–1 in Seattle. Saudi Arabia took a surprise lead against Uruguay before being reeled in late on, and Iran were denied a winning start as New Zealand's Elijah Just scored twice to earn a remarkable 2–2 draw in Los Angeles — rounding off a day of drama, upsets, and breathtaking moments.In Group H, the story of the day — perhaps the story of the tournament so far — came from Atlanta Stadium, where Cape Verde held Spain to a 0–0 draw in their first-ever World Cup match. The second-ranked side in the world, and reigning European champions, were expected to brush aside the island nation ranked 67th in the world, but 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha had other ideas. Making seven crucial saves, he single-handedly frustrated Spain's attack for 90 minutes. Ferran Torres struck the crossbar in the first half, and substitute Lamine Yamal — making his World Cup debut after returning from a hamstring injury — could not produce the decisive moment. In the closing stages, Mikel Oyarzabal was denied by a superb block from Shamrock Rovers' Roberto Lopes, and Spain almost suffered an even more dramatic fate when Diney Borges glanced a corner goalwards in the dying moments. Vozinha, born Josimar Dias, wept at the final whistle — a footballer who only turned professional at 25 and has spent a career journeying through Slovakia, Angola, Moldova and Cyprus, had delivered the most memorable result in Cape Verde's history on the grandest stage of all. He was awarded player of the match.Also in Group H, Saudi Arabia came agonisingly close to repeating one of the great World Cup upsets before being denied by Uruguay. Abdulelah Al Amri turned home after keeper Fernando Muslera could only parry Hassan Al Tambakti's powerful header from a corner, giving Saudi Arabia the lead four minutes before half-time. The Green Falcons — with a starting XI composed entirely of Saudi Pro League players, bar one — defended doggedly, and goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais was exceptional, making nine saves to keep Uruguay at bay. But Marcelo Bielsa's side, reinvigorated by a double substitution at the break that saw Darwin Núñez withdrawn, kept coming. Maxi Araujo finally broke through with ten minutes remaining, poking home after Al Owais pushed Federico Vinas' header into his path. Federico Valverde was denied by yet another late Al Owais save, but the equaliser stood — a 1–1 final score that leaves Group H wide open after the first matchday.In Group G, Belgium laboured against a brave Egypt before snatching a 1–1 draw in Seattle. Mohamed Ashour gave Egypt — appearing at their first World Cup since 1990 — a deserved first-half lead, and they came close to doubling it before the break when Mostafa Zico's fierce strike was tipped behind by Thibaut Courtois, playing on his 34th birthday. Romelu Lukaku came off the bench in the 66th minute and almost immediately changed the game: within seconds, his presence unsettled Egypt defender Mohamed Hany, whose misdirected clearance ended up in his own net. Kevin de Bruyne had struck the outside of the post moments earlier as Belgium grew into the match. Egypt held on for a creditable draw, but Belgium — and their own returning talisman Lukaku — will feel fortune was on their side.The night's most politically charged fixture concluded the day's action in Los Angeles, as Iran and New Zealand shared a gripping 2–2 draw. Playing in the United States just days after a ceasefire was announced to end hostilities between the two nations, Iran were an imposing presence from the off, with Mehdi Taremi a constant threat in attack. Yet New Zealand's Elijah Just proved to be the game's most captivating performer — the forward, who scored seven and assisted eight for Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership last season, netted twice to give the All Whites a point they thoroughly deserved. Iran's 17 shots and relentless urgency could not find a winner, and a draw was arguably a fair result from a contest that racked up 31 shots between the two sides.Upcoming Matches for June 17 (all times local):3:00 AM, New York/New Jersey Stadium — France vs. Senegal (Group I)6:00 AM, Boston Stadium — Iraq vs. Norway (Group I)9:00 AM, Kansas City Stadium — Argentina vs. Algeria (Group J)12:00 PM, San Francisco Bay Area Stadium — Austria vs. Jordan (Group J)