World Cup 2026: Cape Verde say goodbye after defeat by Argentina
Cape Verde may be the smallest nation in the World Cup, but they certainly made a big impact.
Forget Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane; Those who played in the tournament for the first time became the center of attention.
There were the heroics of goalkeeper Vozinha, who scored his first World Cup point against Spain. There was great excitement as they scored their first World Cup goal against Uruguay. Sidny Lopes Cabral’s great goal almost caused the biggest shock of the tournament against Argentina. Cape Verde’s World Cup journey had it all.
When the whistle blew for extra time in Miami, the Blue Sharks players collapsed on the field after a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to reigning champions Argentina, but they could leave the United States knowing they had won so many trophies.
“Cape Verde lost but they won,” former Scotland international James McFadden said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“They demonstrated courage, togetherness, unity and an unwavering belief in what they are and what they can do.
“The story of this tournament is Cape Verde. That’s what you want to see in a football team.”
They entered the tournament ranked 67th in the world, but three group stage draws (beating European champions Spain 0-0 in the opening game) presented the mammoth task of trying to cause one of the biggest upsets the World Cup has ever seen.
Against Argentina, they came from behind with Messi’s goal, but took the match to extra time with a score of 1-1. They then went back again before Cabral’s stunner equalized again. But that wasn’t to be the case as Diney Borges’ brutal deflection of Cristian Romero’s header gave Argentina the victory.
But former England right-back Gary Neville told ITV it was “one of the greatest performances he has ever seen from an underdog player”.
“They’re crying because they’re going home,” he added. “They don’t want to go home. They want to spend the rest of their lives here.
“They want to be here forever. This is a moment that will probably never come back for some players. It’s magical, but it’s also sad.”
