Cape Verde twice came from behind to hold two-time World Cup winners Uruguay to a 2-2 draw, keeping their historic knockout stage hopes firmly alive on their tournament debut. The result leaves the Blue Sharks third in Group H, level on two points with Uruguay, and needing victory against Saudi Arabia on Saturday to secure progression to the last 32.
Kevin Pina opened the scoring with a spectacular 30-yard free-kick that arrowed through the Uruguay wall to beat goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. After Uruguay twice took the lead, Helio Varela grabbed Cape Verde’s equaliser with a deft touch past the stranded keeper before slotting home.
The fearless display follows their remarkable opening result against Spain, who sit 65 places higher in the FIFA rankings, and confirms Cape Verde as one of the competition’s standout stories. Goalkeeper Vozinha, whose Instagram following surged from 40,000 to over 15 million after the Spain match, was rarely troubled as the island nation limited Uruguay to just two shots on target.
Qualification within reach
The expanded World Cup format offers Cape Verde a clear path forward. Eight of the 12 best third-placed teams will advance alongside the top two from each group. Three points against Saudi Arabia—who lost 4-0 to Spain and drew 1-1 with Uruguay—would guarantee their place in the knockouts.
No team ranked as low as Cape Verde’s current 63rd position has reached the last 32 since Nigeria in 1998 and Russia in 2018. The archipelago nation of fewer than 525,000 inhabitants has already defied predictions from pundits including former South Africa striker Benni McCarthy and ex-Wales defender Ashley Williams, who both anticipated defeat against Uruguay.
Expert praise for brave display
McCarthy admitted the performance gave him a “new lease of respect” for Cape Verde. “They really came out to play,” he said on BBC One. “They were sensational. I thought they were brave.” Williams described the match as the “most entertaining” he had covered at the tournament, adding: “They’ll be going into the Saudi Arabia game with their tails up thinking ‘we can qualify here’.”
Former England forward Sue Smith, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “it was outstanding from Cape Verde yet again.” The Blue Sharks managed 12 shots with four on target, outperforming Uruguay’s attacking output.
Their final group match kicks off at 01:00 BST on Saturday.