To be held to a draw means a team was unexpectedly prevented from winning by a weaker or less-favoured opponent.
What does it mean?
‘Holding‘ a team to a draw suggests one side was expected to win but was stopped from doing so – often seen as a strong, brave performance by the ‘holding’ team. It’s often used in the passive voice to emphasise the stronger team’s surprise result: Team A were held to a draw by Team B.
Examples
- The minnows held their more fancied opponents to a credible draw.
- ‘Debutants Cape Verde produced one of the biggest World Cup shocks of recent times by holding Spain to a goalless draw in Atlanta.’ (BBC, June 15 2026)
- ‘Spain, one of the pre-tournament favourites to win the World Cup, were held to a 0-0 draw by 67th-ranked Cape Verde on Monday in the first major shock of the group stage.’ (ESPN, June 15 2026)
Similar Words/Phrases
- To hold out
- Debutants
- A shock result
Learn More
- Listen to our podcast from Day 5 of the 2026 World Cup
- Translate it or use it in a sentence
- Read more about this phrase here
Categories: 2026 World Cup Phrases
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