Ranked 67th globally, the tiny island nation holds Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw to advance from Group H, booking a dream July 3 date with Lionel Messi’s reigning champions in Miami.
DUBAI: World Cup debutants Cape Verde pulled off one of the greatest footballing fairytales in modern history by advancing to the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A gritty 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia in Houston on Friday, combined with Spain’s 1-0 victory over Uruguay, guaranteed the Blue Sharks a second-place finish in Group H and set up a blockbuster showdown against reigning world champions Argentina.
Ranked 67th in the world, the archipelago nation of just over 500,000 residents has become the ultimate underdog story of the tournament. Having drawn all three of their group stage matches—including an opening 0-0 stalemate with European heavyweights Spain and a brave 2-2 draw with Uruguay—Cape Verde defied all odds to finish with three points. Following the final whistle in Houston, players and fans erupted into emotional celebrations, weeping tears of joy as confirmation of Spain’s win filtered through via a mobile phone on the pitch.
“I’m living in a dream to be honest,” an ecstatic Cape Verde midfielder, Deroy Duarte, told broadcasters after the match. Similar scenes of unbridled joy echoed across Cape Verde’s capital city of Praia, where citizens celebrated on the streets well into the early hours of the morning.
Cape Verde’s coach, Bubista, who arrived at the post-match press conference proudly wrapped in his nation’s flag, expressed immense pride in his squad’s relentless spirit. “We had this in our minds and heads that we could get to this stage,” Bubista said. “We are proud to show the world that we are a small country but we fight for what we want. To us, nothing is impossible.”
The tactical gamble paid off for Bubista, who changed half his starting lineup for the crucial clash but retained 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Vozinha. Vozinha, who single-handedly kept Spain at bay in their opener, was solid once again. Saudi Arabia, lacking creative invention despite needing a win to stay alive, suffered an additional blow in the 33rd minute when experienced defender Hassan al-Tambakti was stretchered off due to an injury. Cape Verde went closest to scoring late in the match when Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed al-Owais made a brilliant 75th-minute save to deny Laros Duarte.
A Historic Milestone for a Tiny Nation: Cape Verde is the third-smallest country by population ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup. Their progression to the last 32 means they will now face Lionel Messi and Argentina in Miami on July 3. Group H concluded with Spain on top with seven points, Cape Verde in second with three points, while South American powerhouses Uruguay and Saudi Arabia both crashed out of the tournament with two points each.
