Cape Verde reaches World Cup knockout stage in historic first

Cape Verde advanced to the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup after finishing second in its group, one of the biggest shocks in the tournament’s history. The small island nation, making its World Cup debut, was drawn into a difficult group with former world champions Spain and Uruguay, and had been widely viewed as one of the competition’s weakest teams.

In the decisive match, played overnight between Friday and Saturday, Cape Verde drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia. At the same time, Spain beat Uruguay 1-0, a result that allowed Cape Verde to edge past Uruguay and claim second place in the group. That sent Cape Verde through to the knockout stage at Uruguay’s expense.

Cape Verde had already stunned observers earlier in the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Spain, then followed with a dramatic 2-2 result against Uruguay. In that match, Helio Varela of Maccabi Tel Aviv scored a crucial goal for Cape Verde. After those results, the team showed it was no longer merely an underdog when it faced Saudi Arabia.

The article says Varela and his teammates completed the group stage without a win, yet still secured qualification. Argentina is awaiting them in the next round.