Photo by Ambitious Studio* | Rick Barrett on Unsplash

Cape Verde Hold Uruguay, Near World Cup Knockouts

sportJun 23, 2026·360 words·3 min read

Cape Verde, one of the smallest nations ever to reach the World Cup, produced another remarkable result on Sunday by holding two-time champions Uruguay to a 2-2 draw in a Group H match played in Miami Gardens, Florida. Trailing in the second half, the islanders refused to surrender. Kevin Pina curled in a 30-yard free-kick to register Cape Verde's first goal of the tournament, and Helio Varela equalised in the 61st minute, producing a deft touch to round the goalkeeper before slotting home.

This result is part of an amazing story. Cape Verde is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean with about 525,000 people. It is the country's first World Cup. In its first game, Cape Verde also drew 0-0 with Spain, a much stronger team. The team is now 63rd in the world rankings. The coach said the team shows that small, poorer countries can play against the best.

Cape Verde are now third in Group H. They have two points, the same as Uruguay. They have not lost in two games. No new World Cup team had done this since Senegal in 2002. Their last group game is against Saudi Arabia. A win would take them into the next round. They could also go through with a draw if Spain beats Uruguay.

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