Cape Verde Draws Uruguay in FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Cape Verde's World Cup journey will be recorded in the pages of history. They are now on the verge of moving one step further.

Having already surprised everyone by drawing with Spain, who are 65 places above them in the FIFA rankings, in their first World Cup match.

Cape Verde, known by the nickname 'The Blue Sharks', proved their mettle again on Sunday by holding two-time winners Uruguay to a draw on the biggest stage of sports. They are now strong contenders to advance to the knockout stage.

In a thrilling 2-2 draw, they appeared creative, entertaining, and confident. Just like in the match against Spain, they showed high determination this time as well.

This country, consisting of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean with a population of approximately 525,000 according to the latest World Bank data, has given a tough fight to two giants of the World Cup.

Goalkeeper Vozinha, who had 40,000 followers on Instagram before the match against Spain, now has over 15 million followers. In this match, as Uruguay was limited to only two on-target shots, Vozinha did not have to make any miraculous saves, but new heroes were born at the other end of the field.

Speaking on BBC One, former Wales defender Ashley Williams said, 'They must be checking their phones to see how many followers they have.'

Vozinha's mother could not attend the match against Spain due to the expensive visa fees to enter the USA. However, she was present at this match in Miami and had the opportunity to watch an excellent game.

From the first minute, Cape Verde played aggressively, continuously trying to push the ball forward to put Uruguay under pressure. The South American giants Uruguay were under pressure from the start against the energy and enthusiasm of Cape Verde.

Then came the moment that made history. Kevin Pina's free-kick, taken from 30 yards out, saw the wall of Uruguayan players part as they jumped. The ball, slipping through the gap, went past goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and into the goal. With their first goal, celebrations erupted in the capital of Cape Verde.

Before the match against Uruguay, analysts had underestimated them. Both Williams and Benni McCarthy on BBC One had predicted that Cape Verde would lose. However, they proved those predictions wrong.

Taking advantage of the opponent's mistake, the second goal was scored, and the game was drawn. Hélder Tavares scored a beautiful goal, deceiving goalkeeper Muslera with an excellent touch before advancing.

After that, by displaying excellent defensive play, similar to the match against Spain, Cape Verde managed to secure one point. Along with defensive play, they continued their aggressive strategy and tried to snatch all three points.

After this performance, former South African striker McCarthy expressed his increased respect for Cape Verde. Former Wales defender Williams claimed it was the 'most entertaining' game he had covered in the World Cup so far.

McCarthy said, 'They really came onto the field to play. Their performance was brilliant. I found them very fearless. They need to improve their movement in the attacking third, composure, and decision-making in the final moments of the game. I think they have won many hearts with this performance.'

Speaking to BBC Sport in a fan park in America, a Cape Verde supporter said, 'Everyone doubted us, everyone thought we couldn't move forward. But today, here we are.'

Statements like these clarify the current atmosphere in Cape Verde. This team is becoming one of the most beautiful stories of this year's World Cup.

• Undefeated in the first two matches: Will Cape Verde reach the knockout stage?

After the draw with Uruguay, Cape Verde is in third place in Group 'H' with two points. Uruguay also has two points.

Due to the new format of this expanded World Cup, Cape Verde has a good chance of reaching the knockout stage in their very first World Cup. They will face Saudi Arabia in their final group stage match on Saturday. Saudi Arabia drew 1-1 with Uruguay and suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat against Spain.

McCarthy said on BBC One, 'Based on such a performance, I think they will beat Saudi Arabia.'

The top 8 teams out of the 12 third-placed teams will advance to the last 32, while the top two teams in each group will qualify automatically. Three points from a win against Saudi Arabia will be enough for them to advance to the next round.

Previously, only Nigeria (74th in 1998) and Russia (70th in 2018) had reached the knockout stage with a lower ranking than the current Cape Verde (63rd).

Regarding Cape Verde's confidence, Williams said, 'They will enter the field against Saudi Arabia with high morale, believing they can qualify.'

• Cape Verde's game, which managed to score points, was 'worth watching'

Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live, former England forward Sue Smith summarized the debutant team's performance. She said, 'Cape Verde's performance was excellent again.'

They took 12 shots, with 4 on target, which is two more than Uruguay. They created more chances in the second half to come back and seek a win. They took 10 shots in the second half alone.

Smith added, 'The story of this team is continuing.'

According to former Wales defender Williams, Cape Verde's performance clearly 'deserved a point'. He added, 'Cape Verde was excellent. Even until the end of the game, they wanted to win, that too against a strong team like Uruguay.'

With this draw, they have become the first debutant team since Senegal in 2002 to remain undefeated in their first two World Cup matches.

Former Scotland forward James McFadden said, 'The biggest thing for me is how much Cape Verde is enjoying the game. They are enjoying it to the fullest. It's very fun to watch them play.'