Cabo Verde continued their remarkable debut campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after battling to a 2-2 draw against Uruguay in their second Group H fixture on Sunday, keeping their hopes of reaching the knockout stage firmly alive.
The result means the tournament newcomers remain unbeaten after two matches, having opened their campaign with a goalless draw against Spain. Cabo Verde and Uruguay now sit on two points each, while Spain lead the group on four points heading into the final round of matches.
The island nation made history in the 21st minute when Kevin Pina scored Cabo Verde’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal. The midfielder unleashed a powerful low free kick from long range after Telmo Arcanjo won possession and drove forward through the Uruguayan defence.
Uruguay responded strongly before halftime. Maxi Araujo restored parity in the 44th minute, reacting quickest to a rebound to head home the equaliser.
The South Americans completed the turnaround moments later when Araujo turned provider, setting up Agustin Canobbio in first-half stoppage time to give Uruguay a 2-1 advantage at the break.
Cabo Verde, however, showed remarkable resilience after the interval. Substitute Helio Varela made an immediate impact in the 61st minute, capitalising on a misplaced back pass from Mathias Olivera. The forward intercepted the ball, rounded goalkeeper Fernando Muslera and calmly slotted into an empty net to level the scores.
Uruguay enjoyed slightly more possession and created more opportunities, finishing with 54 percent of the ball and registering 17 shots compared to Cabo Verde’s 10. Despite sustained pressure in the closing stages, the two-time world champions were unable to find a winning goal.
The draw leaves Cabo Verde in a strong position ahead of their final group match against Saudi Arabia, while Uruguay face Spain in a decisive encounter that could determine qualification.
Having already taken points from former world champions Spain and Uruguay, Cabo Verde have emerged as one of the surprise packages of the tournament and remain firmly in contention for a place in the knockout stage in their maiden World Cup appearance.
