Hélio Varela scores as Cape Verde holds Uruguay to a 2-2 World Cup draw
Cape Verde produced one of the surprises of the 2026 World Cup, drawing 2-2 with Uruguay in Miami and strengthening its chances of reaching the knockout stage. The match also had an Israeli angle, because the equalizer was scored by Maccabi Tel Aviv midfielder Hélio Varela.
Uruguay struck first through Maximiliano Araújo, but Cape Verde fought back. After falling behind, the African side recovered to level the game and later complete a dramatic point against the much bigger South American opponent.
The article says the scoring sequence included goals by Lamine, Maximiliano Araújo and Agustín Canobbio before Varela decided the final result. It describes Cape Verde as a modest team that stunned the “Celeste” in Miami and left itself in a very good position to advance.
The report also uses the result to contrast World Cup outsiders and Israel, noting that Israeli football and the World Cup are usually seen as incompatible, while this time a player linked to Israeli football was part of the story. The piece is framed as part of the 2026 tournament coverage published by Sport 5 on June 22, 2026, at 03:08.
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