Cape Verde continued their fairytale run in their first-ever World Cup campaign after reaching the Round of 32 of the 2026 edition.
The tiny Island nation from Africa were given very little chances of even sealing a point, but have been one of the most surprising teams of the tournament so far after their impressive run to the knockout rounds.
Three games, three draws, no defeats and Cape Verde are now up against Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the knockout rounds.
Spain 0-0 Cape Verde: Opening World Cup clash
Cape Verde’s World Cup debut began with a mammoth task against European champions Spain, who paraded the likes of Lamine Yamal, Pedri, Rodri, Marc Cucurella and the likes in the team.
However, they made history by sealing their first-ever point after holding Spain to a goalless draw in that encounter, announcing themselves to the world stage with an impressive result.
That match also saw the rise to prominence of 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who was relatively unknown before the game, but became a superstar after.
The former AS Trencin goalkeeper became the third-oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet at the World Cup and won the Man of the Match award after making seven saves and several interceptions in the clash.
Vozinha came into the clash with around 50,000 followers but gained traction and rose to almost 14 million on Instagram, giving him a larger reach than several renowned global stars.
Uruguay 2-2 Cape Verde: Impressive draw in second game
Following their impressive draw against Spain, Cape Verde faced another daunting challenge against Uruguay in their second game.
However, they rose to the occasion and took the lead when Kevin Pina wrote his name in the history books with his country’s first-ever goal at the World Cup with a stunning free-kick in the first half.
Uruguay scored twice before halftime to turn the tie around, but Cape Verde were back in the game when Helio Varela scored to make it 2-2.
That match left them on two points heading into the final round of games.
Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia: Island nation seal Round of 32 spot
Cape Verde entered the final group game needing to get a result to stand a chance of reaching the next round. A draw would have seen them qualify as one of the best-ranked third placed teams, while a better result than Uruguay’s own against Spain would see them finish in second.
Alex Baena’s goal gave Spain victory over Uruguay, while Cape Verde held on to draw Saudi Arabia and seal their place in the knockout rounds, making more history in the process.
They will now face Argentina in their next game, and a favourable result in that clash would see them continue their journey and move to the Round of 16.
For now, the island nation will bask in the euphoria of reaching the knockout rounds, having announced themselves to the world in impressive fashion.
