FIFA World Cup 2026: Small nation, big dream - Cabo Verde eye knockouts after fairytale start

FIFA World Cup 2026 is turning into something of a fairytale for Cabo Verde.

Against all the odds on their World Cup debut, the tiny African island nation are unbeaten in their first two group games – despite playing two powerhouses of international football.

Last week, Cabo Verde caused a shock by holding European champions Spain to a goalless draw in their opening match.

Now the Blue Sharks have pulled off another famous result with a 2-2 draw against two-time champions Uruguay.

The newcomers currently sit third in Group H ahead of their final group-stage game with fourth-placed Saudi Arabia on Saturday (27 June).

With eight of the 12 best third-placed teams qualifying for the last 32, Cabo Verde have a strong chance of reaching the knockouts.

For a nation with a population of just over 500,000, progress out of the group would mark one of the most remarkable stories in the history of the World Cup.

Who is Kevin Pina?

Cabo Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha was the team’s hero against Spain, making seven saves to thwart the 2010 World Cup winners.

In the clash with Uruguay, it was Kevin Pina’s time to shine.

The 29-year-old scored Cabo Verde’s first-ever World Cup goal when he opened the scoring in Miami with a free-kick from 32 metres – the longest-range goal of FIFA World Cup 2026 so far.

Maxi Araújo and Agustín Canobbio hit back for Uruguay, before Hélio Varela scored a second-half equaliser to secure a point for the Blue Sharks – but it was Pina who was named man of the match.

The midfielder plays for FC Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League, where he has plied his trade for four years following a move from Chaves in Portugal.

Pina is no stranger to a spectacular long-range goal, having netted a stunner in a 3-0 win over Mozambique at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

But this was just his fourth goal in 33 games for his country – and one that has made him a legend back home.

Cabo Verde making history at FIFA World Cup 2026

Cabo Verde is an archipelago of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean.

They have sent athletes to every summer Olympic Games since Atlanta 1996, but have won just one medal – Daniel Varela de Pina in the men’s flyweight boxing at Paris 2024.

The Blue Sharks reached FIFA World Cup 2026 by topping their qualifying group above continental heavyweights Cameroon.

At the time, they were the smallest country by land area to ever qualify for a World Cup, before Curaçao broke that record five weeks later.

They are also the third-least populated nation to feature at the tournament, after Curaçao and Iceland, who made their only appearance at Russia 2018.

With two successive draws in North America, Cabo Verde are the first debutant country to go undefeated in their first two World Cup matches since Senegal in 2002.

“A country may be small and struggle financially, but if they're resilient, if they work in an organised manner, they can also stand shoulder-to-shoulder with major teams,” said Blue Sharks manager Bubista after the Uruguay draw.

“You can achieve great things regardless of your challenges.”

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