Cape Verde is still chasing its World Cup dream.
The island nation located off Africa’s western coast has made history as the smallest population country to reach the knockout stage of a men’s World Cup, following a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia in their final group stage match in Houston on Friday.
“We are small,” stated Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who has become the face of his team’s tenacity. “But we have big hearts, and we are fighters.”
The team achieved one of the tournament’s biggest upsets by holding pre-tournament favorites Spain to a scoreless tie in their opener. They later scored their inaugural World Cup goals in a thrilling 2-2 draw against Uruguay.
– Uruguay eliminated from World Cup following goalkeeper blunder against Spain
With Friday’s draw, Cape Verde ends up with three points and finishes second in Group H, just behind the 2010 champions, Spain, and ahead of two-time World Cup victors Uruguay.
Uruguay’s loss to Spain meant that they, along with Saudi Arabia, had to exit the tournament early.
The challenges will keep coming for Cape Verde as they face defending champions Argentina in the round of 32 match scheduled in Miami Gardens, Florida, on July 3.
“The team was very eager to show this to the whole world,” remarked Cape Verde coach Bubista, proudly wrapped in his country’s flag. “We are proud to have reached this stage. We have demonstrated that while we are a small country, we fight hard for our ambitions.”
With a population of just 525,000, Cape Verde is smaller than any U.S. state; Wyoming is the closest at 576,000 residents.
They’ve already surpassed the performance of other nations with smaller populations that have participated in the World Cup. Curaçao and Iceland were both eliminated after the group stage in their respective World Cups in 2026 and 2018.
Cape Verde is the first debutant to make it to the knockout stage since Slovakia in 2010 and the first newcomers to remain unbeaten through their three group matches since Senegal in 2002.
While drawing all three group matches isn’t a guarantee for advancement in major tournaments, it has been achieved by teams in the past, such as Wales in 1958, Ireland and the Netherlands in 1990, and Chile in 1998. However, it’s worth noting that New Zealand had three draws in the 2010 World Cup but did not advance.
On the eve of this vital match, Bubista stated, “Everyone is entitled to dreams, and nothing is impossible.”
The Blue Sharks proved him right by defying the odds.
A woman, her face adorned with the archipelago’s flag, held a sign proclaiming: “Small Islands, Big Dreams.”
These underdogs have indeed turned their aspirations into reality as they continue their remarkable journey on the global stage.
Vozinha has enjoyed a standout tournament, garnering over 16 million Instagram followers thanks to his impressive performances.
Vozinha saved a header from Mohamed Kanno during first-half stoppage time to maintain a scoreless game against Saudi Arabia. He also stopped a powerful shot from Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat in the 66th minute and clinched another save against Abdullah Al-Hamdan right before the match concluded.
“There’s a great deal of talent in our national team,” Vozinha asserted. “Some may doubt the capabilities of Cape Verdean players, but we are here to showcase our skills and prove that we can compete at high levels and excel in major leagues.”
A group of fans, with their bodies painted, cheered Cape Verde, each displaying a letter from Vozinha’s name.
Yet, in the crowd of 68,278, Vozinha had a special supporter. His mother, Ana Candida Evora, watched with pride from a luxury suite, waving a small Cape Verde flag. This was her second match in the tournament; she had missed his previous legendary performance against Spain due to visa complications.
Cape Verde nearly took the lead in the 50th minute when Kevin Pina‘s long-range effort went just over the crossbar. They also had another opportunity in the 74th minute when Laros Duarte’s close-range shot was saved by goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais.
In the dying seconds, Nuno da Costa sent a shot from the center of the box wide left, but it was inconsequential since shortly after the final whistle, Spain secured their victory over Uruguay, triggering joyous celebrations among Cape Verde’s players and fans, many of whom were emotional.
After leading his team to new heights, Bubista was asked if he could have envisioned such a successful run leading up to the tournament.
“I’ve always believed that Cape Verde would eventually arrive on such a grand stage,” he said. “Predicting something like this is challenging, but I always had that belief.”
Contributions from The Associated Press and ESPN Research helped inform this article.