The Blue Sharks show their teeth in the World Cup. Cape Verde writes history against the champions of three editions

The Cape Verde national team created one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 World Cup, after it succeeded in its first World Cup participation in snatching valuable points from two ancient teams that won the world title three times combined. It forced a goalless draw against Spain, the champion of the 2010 edition, before snatching a dramatic 2-2 draw against the Uruguay national team, champion of the 1930 and 1950 editions, announcing itself as one of the most prominent and inspiring stories of the tournament.

Many did not expect that a team coming from a country with a population not exceeding 530,000 people would become the talk of the world during the first days of the tournament. Cape Verde, the small archipelago located in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of Africa, entered the competitions out of the limelight and without significant nominations, but it emerged from the first two rounds, imposing respect on everyone and forcing ancient football schools to reconsider their calculations.

The British newspaper “The Athletic” reported that the importance of this achievement lies in the extent of the historical, economic and football differences between the competing parties. While Spain and Uruguay include an elite group of the world’s most prominent stars, and rely on a long legacy in World Cup tournaments, Cape Verde entered the tournament while recording its first appearance in the World Cup, relying on a group of players whose football personalities were formed in various European leagues, but who maintained their emotional connection to their small homeland.

The newspaper explained that the confrontation with Spain embodied one of the most wonderful images of the spirit of the tournament, as the Cape Verdean team did not try to match the “Matador” in possession or imitate its style, but rather adopted realism and tactical discipline, and left the ball to its opponent for most of the match, while effectively closing spaces and thwarting all offensive attempts, to emerge with a goalless draw that many considered a real victory against one of the most prominent candidates for the title.

As for the second match against Uruguay, it was more exciting and dramatic, as the African team moved from the role of the steadfast team to the proactive team capable of creating danger, and was able to score the first two goals in its history in the World Cup, so that its players wrote their names in golden letters in the national football records. Although Uruguay had more than 66% possession of the ball and imposed continuous offensive pressure, the effectiveness was present in the Cape Verdean national team, which made the best possible use of its few opportunities.

During this saga, a number of players emerged who turned into national heroes in a few days, led by veteran goalkeeper Fusenha, who made an exceptional performance against Spain and saved his goal from several missed chances, becoming the talk of the fans and the media.

Midfielder Kevin Pena also entered the history of football in Cape Verde at its widest when he scored his country’s first World Cup goal via an amazing direct free kick from a distance of 32 metres, in a shot that will remain immortal in the memory of the fans.

Substitute striker Hélio Varela was no less influential, as he took advantage of a fatal defensive error to score the valuable equalizer against Uruguay, giving his country a point that may be the most expensive in its sporting history. As the fans celebrated that goal, the message had reached everyone: Cape Verde was not a guest of honor in the tournament, but rather a real competitor capable of disturbing the big boys.

Behind this achievement is national coach Bobista, who has succeeded in building a cohesive group that believes in its abilities and understands well how to invest in its potential. He also demonstrated remarkable tactical flexibility that combined defensive solidity and speed of attacking transformation, in addition to his success in establishing a competitive personality within the team that made him face former world champions with confidence and without fear.

With the team having two valuable points after the first two rounds, the dream of qualifying for the round of 32 has become closer than ever, as the final confrontation against Saudi Arabia will be a mini-final that determines the fate of this historic dream.

But regardless of the result of the next match, Cape Verde has already achieved the greatest victory in its football history, having moved from a football country unknown to many to one of the most inspiring and exciting stories in the 2026 World Cup, confirming that football is still capable of giving small dreams a chance to compete against major football empires.

Cape Verde will play a mini-final against Saudi Arabia in the third round to decide the qualification ticket.