Cape Verde’s enchanting debut in the World Cup continues to surprise, and it seems to be just the beginning.
The small island nation that shocked tournament favorites Spain last week pulled off another remarkable feat against Uruguay on Sunday, battling back to finish with a 2-2 draw.
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Kevin Pina netted a free kick that marked Cape Verde’s inaugural goal in World Cup history, while Hélio Varela scored the equalizer, solidifying the team’s status as one of the biggest surprises of the expanded 48-team tournament—a team now with a genuine opportunity to advance to the knockout stage.
“This achievement honors other smaller national teams that have struggled for World Cup qualification,” said Cape Verde’s coach, Pedro Leitão Brito, through an interpreter. “Though our nation is small and may face financial challenges, we demonstrate that resilience and perseverance allow us to compete alongside teams with greater resources.”
The group of islands off the West African coast covers about 4,000 square kilometers (approximately 2.5 miles) and has a population of around half a million, making Cape Verde one of the smallest nations by population to qualify for the World Cup.
Despite a large contingent of Uruguay fans at Miami Stadium during Sunday’s match, Cape Verdean players remained unfazed.
“Once you’re on the pitch, many things become equal,” Leitão Brito noted.
Cape Verdean supporters who celebrated their team’s stunning scoreless draw against Spain continued the festivities as Pina launched a shot past the diving Fernando Muslera, giving the team a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute.
Maxi Araújo and Agustín Canobbio struck late in the first half to put Uruguay ahead, but Varela, shortly after coming into the match, caught Muslera off his line for the equalizer in the second half—marking his first international goal.
Varela celebrated exuberantly, jumping into his teammates’ arms and flexing for the crowd, while Muslera and the Uruguayan players hung their heads in disappointment.
“The result was deserved, I believe,” remarked Uruguay’s coach, Marcelo Bielsa, through an interpreter.
This was Uruguay’s second draw, following a 1-1 result against Saudi Arabia in their opener. La Celeste now faces a challenging matchup against Spain in the final group stage, needing to capitalize on late opportunities to secure advancement.
“Mistakes in organization always fall on the coach,” Bielsa stated. “There’s no magic solution to fix them, and we paid dearly for those errors.”
It was also a noteworthy moment for Cape Verde’s Vozinha, who has emerged as a standout performer after securing a draw against Spain. The 40-year-old goalkeeper had the special honor of having his mother in attendance for this match; she had been unable to see Cape Verde’s opener due to visa issues.
This match marked the first World Cup game in history featuring two starting goalkeepers over the age of 40. Muslera, celebrating his 40th birthday just days prior, made his 18th World Cup appearance.