Oyarzabal writes negative World Cup history: Didn't touch the ball for 30 minutes in Spain-Cape Verde

Mikel Oyarzabal has etched his name into World Cup history, albeit for an unusual reason. The Spanish forward recorded one of the most peculiar statistics in the tournament's annals: he was the first player since 1966 to go the first 30 minutes of a World Cup match without making a single touch of the ball.

The Real Sociedad player remained largely uninvolved in the game during the opening half-hour of Spain's encounter with Cape Verde. Despite his team, 'La Roja,' enjoying significant possession, Oyarzabal's first contact with the ball did not occur until the 31st minute.

This individual anomaly occurred within a match where Spain dominated possession, exceeding 74% of the ball. Nevertheless, they were unable to find the back of the net against the World Cup debutants from Cape Verde. The game concluded in a scoreless draw, with Cape Verde's goalkeeper Vozinha delivering an outstanding performance to deny the Spanish attack.