The 2026 World Cup has thrown up some big news stories. However, one of the biggest stories of the tournament is West African minnows Cabo Verde, who made the knockout stages in their debut campaign.
How did Cabo Verde qualify for the last-32?
Vozinha Cape Verde Goalkeeper – Nha Terra Nha Cretcheu, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Cape Verde is the smallest country by land area to ever qualify for the World Cup, with an estimated population of just over 525,000, which, to put it into perspective, is smaller than Manchester.
For them to even qualify for the World Cup was a massive feat. They went into the competition with many writing them off as whipping boys of Group H, which contained Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.
Some nations may just have been happy to be there. However, Cabo Verde wasn’t content with just participating and made a big statement in their opening game by grinding out a goalless draw against European champions Spain.
Veteran goalkeeper Vozinha earned particular praise, having produced a draw-saving display.
The second group game saw them come up against former World Cup winners Uruguay. Once again, they held firm and claimed a 2-2 draw, scoring their first World Cup goals in the process, with Kevin Pina scoring the team’s historic first goal on 21 minutes of the encounter.
Cape Verde vs Uruguay World Cup 2026 – Whoisjohngalt, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Helio Varela’s 61st-minute strike levelled the game after Uruguay scored through goals from Maxi Araujo and Agustin Canobbio.
They went into their last group game against Saudi Arabia knowing that a draw could see them qualify for the knockout stages. In the end, another goalless draw against the Saudi’s was enough to book a place in the last 32 of the competition.
🇨🇻 Cabo Verde have qualified for the Round of 32!#FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 27, 2026
It was the second clean sheet of the tournament for the much-talked-about Vozinha.
There was joy unconfined amongst the players, the staff and, of course, the fans of Cape Verde. The fans back home also rejoiced, as it is regarded as the country’s biggest sporting achievement.
In terms of the World Cup, it may be one of the biggest achievements of any nation. Despite not winning any of their games, Cabo Verde has caught the attention and the hearts of many.
One month can change somebody’s fortunes
As previously mentioned, Vozinha has been a particular hit for Cape Verde. Having been allowed to leave Portuguese second-tier team Chaves at the start of the month, it is fair to say he is in a far more positive mood.
The 40-year-old stopper, who is now a free agent, gained a massive social media following and now has over 17m followers on Instagram, having previously only had around 31,538 followers.
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Vozinha told the media after his team’s opener against Spain that his mother couldn’t watch him in action because they didn’t have the money for her Visa to attend the game.
However, USA government officials waived the Visa fee, allowing her to watch the second and third group games.
The fact that his mum got to see him play on the biggest international stage on earth must have made him delighted.
Something else that will please him is his newfound popularity and fame on social media. While he may not necessarily be hungry for social media fame, it does open up opportunities for him at 40.
As a free agent, he has an uncertain future in the game after his exit from Chaves, despite his World Cup heroics. He only moved to the European game in 2015, and unlike many of the players at the tournament, is unlikely to have earned enough money to sustain him beyond his playing career.
However, social media may well provide the goalkeeper with a chance to benefit financially in a way that football hasn’t during his career.
Cape Verde had a daunting task in the last 32
Cape Verde’s World Cup journey will be remembered for years to come, especially their last-32 game against South American giants Argentina.
They held the Albiceleste to a 1-1 draw after normal time, but eventually went down 3-2 in extra time, courtesy of Diney Borges’ own goal.
The game epitomised Cabo Verde’s fighting spirit, and they came so close to causing what would have been the biggest shock in the history of not only the World Cup but in sport as a whole.
Goalkeeper Vozinha did his best to subdue Lionel Messi and his teammates, making eight saves, yet his team was eliminated from the competition.
Cape Verde’s display and pushing Argentina all the way was not a massive surprise after their previous exploits in the competition.
They have been one of the stories of the tournament, and no doubt the players will be given a hero’s welcome back home when they return, and it’s no more than deserved.
