Just moments after the match between Saudi Arabia ended in a 0-0 draw on Friday night, players from Cape Verde, the third-smallest nation ever to compete in the World Cup, gathered around a phone eagerly waiting for the conclusion of Spain‘s victory over Uruguay to confirm their advancement.
Would Cape Verde’s remarkable underdog journey in the 2026 World Cup continue for another match?
Advertisement
The answer was yes. Surprisingly, Cape Verde emerged as an even larger underdog.
Following a group stage performance characterized by no wins—and crucially, no losses—Cape Verde secured second place in Group H after Spain. Their three points from three draws allowed them to surpass Uruguay, the first-ever World Cup champions, and Saudi Arabia, the nation that previously defeated Lionel Messi and Argentina at the start of the 2022 World Cup.
Now recognized as the smallest nation ever to reach the knockout stages of the World Cup, Cape Verde has caught the global spotlight over the past fortnight. Soon, they will face an even greater challenge on July 3, squaring off against Messi and Argentina in the Round of 32.
World Cup schedule | Group schedule, results | Standings
Advertisement
While the path to knockout stages at this year’s World Cup may be easier with the tournament expanding from 32 to 48 teams and doubling the knockout round from 16 to 32, Cape Verde’s achievements shouldn’t be overshadowed. They didn’t stumble into the Round of 32 as a mere third-place team from an easy group. After all, they held Spain to a 0-0 draw in their opening match, showcasing goalkeeper Vozinha, who emerged as the breakout star of the tournament.
Cape Verde’s manager, Bubista, is celebrated by his players after qualifying for the Round of 32 at the World Cup.
(Michael Regan – FIFA via Getty Images)
The Rise of Vozinha
During that match, Vozinha made an impressive seven saves, facing 27 shots from Spain, who maintained possession for almost 75% of the game. According to the expected goals statistic—which estimates how many goals should have been scored based on chance quality—Spain should have netted at least two goals.
Advertisement
Before the tournament, Vozinha had around 50,000 Instagram followers. Now he’s approaching 17 million. Additionally, his mother was able to travel to the U.S. to watch him play after missing the first match.
Vozinha’s story isn’t the only surprising tale on this team. Center back Roberto Lopes, positioned in front of Vozinha, was actually recruited to the team through LinkedIn. It took several messages before Lopes acknowledged the offer seriously.
In 2018, former manager Rui Águas messaged Lopes about his interest in joining the Cape Verde national team. Lopes, whose father hails from Cape Verde, had never played for any country at the international level.
However, since the message was in Portuguese, Lopes initially ignored it, as he didn’t speak the language. It took a follow-up message in English months later for Lopes to take notice.
Advertisement
By 2019, Lopes made his debut for Cape Verde.
Cape Verde’s Ambitious Journey
While Cape Verde’s surge on the international stage has been quick, its progress has been years in the making in Africa. In 2022, they narrowly missed qualifying for the final round of African qualifiers by just two points after a disappointing 2018 campaign.
Leading into 2026, Cape Verde succeeded in their qualification journey, outperforming eight-time World Cup competitor Cameroon by four points in their group, with group winners automatically advancing to the World Cup.
However, African teams have often been overlooked in World Cup history. In 2022, Morocco made history as the first African team to reach the semifinals and only the fourth to appear in the quarterfinals.
Advertisement
This year, up to eight African teams could potentially qualify for the knockout stage.
While Cape Verde’s chances of matching or exceeding the success of quarterfinalists like Morocco, Ghana, or Senegal appears to be slim, given that Messi remains a dominant force and Argentina looks poised for a deep tournament run. However, these concerns can be addressed closer to match day.