Cape Verde proves it’s not too small to advance in World Cup

HOUSTON – Soon after the final whistle against Saudi Arabia at Houston Stadium, the Cape Verde Blue Sharks gathered around a smart phone in front of their bench Friday night. The FIFA World Cup debutants turned their focus to Guadalajara, Mexico, where Spain was holding on to a lead against Uruguay. 

During that brief, stressful wait, the Blue Sharks shot up a few silent prayers before they erupted after Spain sealed its 1-0 victory to help Cape Verde. Seeing the players hug each other and jump around, the crowd of 68,278 sent a thunderous roar echoing throughout Houston Stadium.

“I always wanted to cry (during the wait),” Cape Verde midfielder Deroy Duarte said after the scoreless draw against Saudi Arabia. “I was so emotional, like everybody was just waiting and praying and hoping that the result was good because I feel like we deserve it so much. 

“We gave everything, so it’s a reward that we can go through. It was a very special moment. I think this emotion I’ve never felt on the pitch. I hope we can feel the same feeling in the next game.”

Debut to remember

Not many experts predicted that Cape Verde would make it out of the group stage in its first FIFA World Cup. The tiny island on the Atlantic Ocean off the Northwest coast of Africa is one of four countries who made their FIFA World Cup debuts this year. The other debutants this year are Curaçao, the smallest country to ever compete in a World Cup, Uzbekistan and Jordan.

“We showed also that we are here to represent not just the players but also all the Cape Verdeans in … the world,” said Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha. “We are small, but we have a big heart and we are fighters.” 

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The Blue Sharks finished behind only powerhouse Spain in Group H with three points, one for each tie. Uruguay (-1 goal differential) and Saudi Arabia (-4 goal differential) finished with two points.

Now, the smallest country to ever advance to a World Cup knockout round gets a chance to face Lionel Messi’s Argentina, the defending World Cup champions.

‘A dream coming true’

“I’ve always seen Argentina on the television whenever I was young,” said Duarte, who was chosen as the Man of the Match. “For me it’s a dream coming true obviously (to face) a great player like Messi and other players also. 

“For us first tonight we will enjoy and we will celebrate. And then the next coming day we will focus on Argentina. Obviously it’s a special moment, a special game. But still, the ball is round. You can see it. We played against Spain, Uruguay. We draw, so why not?”

THE MOMENT THE CAPE VERDE PLAYERS REALIZED THEY ARE THROUGH TO THE KNOCKOUT STAGE 🇨🇻

WHAT A MOMENT FOT THE DEBUTANTS! pic.twitter.com/SHWc1hsjgg

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 27, 2026

Despite a population of only 618,000, Cape Verde had a strong base of support at Houston Stadium. Considering how much fans love underdogs, it shouldn’t have been surprising that many in the crowd cheered for Cape Verde.

The crowd broke into “Cabo Verde! Cabo Verde! Cabo Verde!” chants often throughout the match, mixing sequential claps in between each mention of the island. 

In many ways, the Blue Sharks with their 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha are the heartwarming story of the 2026 World Cup. If nothing else, Cape Verde is the surprise of this tournament.

With seven saves by Vozinha, Cape Verde held mighty Spain scoreless to escape with a draw in the Blue Sharks’ World Cup debut. After the stunning result against the No. 3-ranked country in FIFA’s rankings, the Blue Sharks pulled off another surprise in their second match.  

‘Very happy’

Cape Verde, which is ranked No. 64 in the world, tied Uruguay at 2 to earn another point in its second match. The Blue Sharks’ finishing touch was missing, but they were the stronger side against Saudi Arabia. They escaped with another scoreless draw, and then they waited.

“We (were) very happy,” Vozinha said. “It’s great for us because we know we are from a small country, but (we also) knew that we would come here to compete. There is a lot of quality in our national team.

“Maybe for many of you, you think that the Cape Verdean player is not good enough, but we come here to show that we have a lot of quality. And we are here to compete. And our players can play everywhere in the big competition and in the big leagues.”