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Cape Verde continued their fairytale run to the 2026 World Cup by making the round of 32 in their first appearance, finishing second in Group H after a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia.
The island nation is one of the stories of the tournament. With a population of just 500,000, their soccer team captured the hearts of the world by producing impressive performances against powerhouses Spain and Uruguay in their first two group games.
Cape Verde knew they could go straight into the knockouts if things went their way in the final matches – there was also a scenario where they could have won the group – but Houston’s result was met with disappointment. Spain won 1-0 They finished as runners-up behind La Rosa.
This set up a round of 32 tie with Argentina Kick-off at 11pm in Miami on Friday 3 July.
Cape Verde players celebrate after reaching the round of 32 of the World Cup
Highlights from Houston…
33: Sub! Saudi defender Hassan Al Tambakti was replaced by Ali Lazami on a stretcher.
45+2: Off! Mohammed Kanno’s header was saved by Bhojinha, who came close to the Saudi opener.
49: Huge opportunity! Jamiro Monteiro almost put Cape Verde ahead, but his shot was saved by Mohamed Al Weiss.
74: Save big! Al Weiss made a great save to prevent Laros Duarte from scoring.
90+2: Huge moment! Saudi Arabia have a huge chance to save their World Cup, but Abdullah Al Hamdan’s effort is well collected by Vojinha.
Neville: Cape Verde shows football is unpredictable – that’s why we love it!
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville on ITV:
“For those skeptics who thought expanding the tournament wasn’t the right thing to do, watching Cape Verde might reconsider.
We’ve just seen Uruguay go out, one of the teams with the richest history in this tournament, and now we’ve got one of the smallest nations to make it to the knockout stages. It is a very special moment for them.
“Looking at the group (before the tournament), we would have said Spain and Uruguay finished on paper. We didn’t think what they did in Cape Verde.
“Football is unpredictable. That’s why we love it and it’s a great moment for the competition and this new format.”
Cape Verde head coach Buvista waves the flag as he celebrates reaching the round of 32
‘I feel like I’m in a dream’
Cape Verdean midfielder Doroy Duarte: “Honestly, it’s crazy. I feel like I’m in a dream. When I was little, I always dreamed of playing in the World Cup.
“First, let’s celebrate. We’re very happy. Let’s hope all Cape Verdeans are happy too. From tomorrow, we’ll focus on the next match. It’s against Argentina, right? A tough match, but let’s believe. Anything is possible.”
Cape Verde forward Dylan Livramento: “We tried to play football, we tried to play our own style. This was the match where we showed it.
“Ultimately, we’ll see if we could have done better – like finishing our moves – but that’s for the next match. For now, we’re just going to celebrate.”
Selfie and cowboy hat! Celebrating historic moments in Cape Verde
Cape Verde celebrate with their fans after securing their place in the round of 32
Cape Verde’s Danny Borges celebrates after reaching the round of 32
Cape Verde head coach Buvista waves a flag while Jovan Cabral carries it on his shoulder
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha takes a selfie with fans after the game against Saudi Arabia
