Cape Verde continue World Cup fairytale run

TDT | Manama

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Cape Verde extended their remarkable World Cup 2026 start with a 2-2 draw against Uruguay in Miami on Monday, building on their opening goalless result against Spain and moving one step closer to an unlikely place in the knockout rounds.

Uruguay, ranked 19th in the world, arrived under pressure after being held 1-1 by Saudi Arabia in their opening match — a game that already exposed a worrying pattern of slow starts and early defensive lapses.

That issue resurfaced almost immediately.

Cape Verde struck first in the 21st minute through Kevin Pina, who produced a stunning long-range free-kick to register the nation’s first-ever World Cup goal and send their supporters into disbelief.

At that stage, Uruguay had dominated possession, controlling tempo and territory in typical fashion. But as so often happens in tight tournament football, control meant little without cutting edge.

The response eventually came, and it arrived in quick succession before halftime.

Maximiliano Araújo, already on the scoresheet against Saudi Arabia, levelled matters in the 44th minute when he stooped to head in a rebound off the post after sustained pressure finally cracked Cape Verde’s defence.

 Barely minutes later, Uruguay flipped the game entirely. In first-half stoppage time, Araújo was again heavily involved as he met Manuel Ugarte’s cross and sent a header back across the face of goal. His cushioned knockdown was drifting wide, but Agustín Canobbio arrived first to slot home from close range and give La Celeste a 2-1 lead at the break.

It felt like the match was shifting toward the expected script, but Uruguay’s failure to fully kill it off would prove costly.

Rather than pushing for a third goal after the restart, Marcelo Bielsa’s side eased off slightly, allowing Cape Verde to grow back into the contest. In modern tournament football, that margin is rarely safe, and the equaliser arrived early in the second half.

Helio Varela pounced on Brian Rodríguez’s misplaced pass in midfield, and the Blue Sharks struck again in the 61st minute as Fernando Muslera raced out to clear. The goalkeeper was left stranded, and Varela, just off the bench, calmly slotted into the unguarded net to level the scores.

From there, the game opened up completely.

Uruguay thought they had found a winner soon after, but a potential third goal was ruled out for a tight offside decision, leaving the two-time world champions frustrated as momentum swung again.

Despite the late pressure, the South Americans could not find a breakthrough.

The result leaves Spain top of Group H on four points, with a meeting against Uruguay still to come on Saturday at 3am Bahrain time in Mexico.

Meanwhile, Cape Verde will face Saudi Arabia at the same time in the United States, knowing another positive result could push them into a historic knockout qualification spot.

For a West African nation of just over half a million people, the dream is no longer distant. It is playing out in real time on the world stage.