Cape Verde pulls off World Cup miracle, reaches round of 32 in debut

Cape Verde, a nation of 510,000 people, pulled off a remarkable feat at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, advancing to the round of 32 in the country's first-ever World Cup appearance — knocking out powerhouse Uruguay in the process.

Cape Verde drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia in their final Group H match at Houston Stadium on Saturday, finishing the group stage with three draws to claim second place and a spot in the knockout round. Uruguay, who needed a result to stay ahead of Cape Verde, fell to Spain and dropped to third in the group, finishing with two draws and a loss and exiting the tournament.

Few had expected Cape Verde to make a run when the group draw was announced. Spain and Uruguay were widely regarded as overwhelming favorites, and Cape Verde's limited representation in Europe's top leagues was considered a significant weakness.

Yet Cape Verde began writing their story from the very first match. They held FIFA's second-ranked Spain to a 0-0 draw, with goalkeeper Vozinha turning in a standout display of saves to earn the debutants their first World Cup point.

The surprises kept coming. Cape Verde drew 2-2 with Uruguay in their second group match, then secured another point against Saudi Arabia to clinch their place in the round of 32. Awaiting them is Argentina, led by football legend Lionel Messi.