Extreme World Cup outsider
Cape Verde is driving Uruguay to despair
Updated June 22, 2026 – 2:31 amReading time: 3 minutes
Cape Verde traveled to this World Cup as one of the biggest outsiders. Now the team also scored points against Uruguay – and even has a great chance of progressing.
Cape Verde’s World Cup fairytale continues. Six days after the sensational 0-0 draw against title favorites Spain, the small island state fought to a 2-2 (1-2) draw against two-time world champions Uruguay. Against the bottom of the group, Saudi Arabia, the outsider now has the chance to qualify for the knockout round in his first World Cup participation next Saturday.
In front of 64,003 spectators in Miami, Kevin Pina gave Cape Verde the lead with the first goal in the country’s World Cup history. The defensive player from the Russian league sank a 25-meter free kick in the 21st minute.
Shortly before the break, many football fans’ new favorite team conceded two goals in just seven minutes: Maxi Araujo (44th) and Agustin Canobbio (45th + 6) scored for the otherwise very unimaginative and once again disappointing South Americans.
But Cape Verde’s team once again showed great heart: Helio Varela, who had been substituted three minutes earlier, took advantage of a dramatic chain of errors by Uruguay in the 61st minute. Defender Mathias Olivera played first SSC Napoli the ball into the goal scorer’s foot, completely unchallenged. Then keeper Fernando Muslera left his goal completely unnecessarily.
Vozinha’s mom in the stadium
Around 25,000 Uruguayans in the stadium made this game a home game for the 1930 and 1950 world champions. But many fans around the world were keeping their fingers crossed for the World Cup debutants Cape Verde.
His underdog story of a 40-year-old goalkeeper who surpassed himself and missed his mother in the stadium moved many people. After all visa problems had been clarified, mom Ana Candida Evora was there live this time to support the new World Cup hero Vozinha. She sent a video message to the team before the game (“Be strong and courageous, blue sharks!”) – and then saw something remarkable in the arena: for the first time in a World Cup game, both goalkeepers were over 40.
On Uruguay’s side, 40-year-old Muslera from Estudiantes de la Plata was between the posts. In Cape Verde, Vozinha is only two weeks older. And unlike in the nerve-wracking game against Spain, the goalkeeper was initially given little to do, at least in the first half.
Favorite is having a hard time
Uruguay were downright shocked by the 0-1 deficit and remained completely harmless on offense until the double strike shortly before the break. After the change, the favorite made the mistake of just trying to manage the 2-1 lead. That kept Cape Verde in the game and was punished by the slapstick equalizer.
