Cape Verde smallest nation to make WC knockouts

June 27, 2026 No Comments

Cape Verde become smallest country to make World Cup knockoutsplayCape Verde send fans wild as they reach World Cup knockouts (0:39)ESPN News ServicesMultiple AuthorsJun 26, 2026, 10:07 PM ET

Cape Verde’s dream journey at their first ever World Cup is not over yet.

The island nation off the western coast of Africa became the smallest nation by population to ever make the knockout stage of a men’s World Cup after a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia in their group-stage finale in Houston on Friday.

The tournament debutants pulled off one of the World Cup’s biggest surprises by playing pre-tournament favorites Spain to a scoreless draw in its opener. They followed that up by scoring its first goals of the World Cup in a 2-2 tie against Uruguay.

– Uruguay out of World Cup after GK blunder against Spain

With Friday’s draw they finish undefeated on three points and take second place in Group H, behind 2010 winners Spain and a point ahead of two-time World Cup champions Uruguay.

Uruguay’s defeat to Spain at the same time on Friday means they join Saudi Arabia in succumbing to an early exit.

The big-hitters will keep coming for Cape Verde, with defending champions Argentina next up in a round-of-32 matchup in Miami Gardens, Florida, on July 3.

Cape Verde players celebrate after reaching the knockout stage of the World Cup. Francois Nel/Getty ImagesCape Verde’s population of 525,000 inhabitants is smaller than all 50 U.S. states, with Wyoming the closest with a population of 576,000.Already they have gone further than the only smaller nations by population to reach the World Cup. Curaçao and Iceland were both eliminated after the group stage in their sole appearances in 2026 and 2018, respectively.

They are the first debutants to go unbeaten in their three group-stage matches at a World Cup since Senegal in 2002.

Drawing all three group matches does not guarantee advancement at major soccer tournaments. But several teams have done it in the past, including Wales in 1958, Ireland and the Netherlands in 1990, and Chile in 1998. New Zealand, however, also got three draws at the 2010 World Cup and were eliminated.

On the eve of the match, Cape Verde coach Bubista mused, “everyone is entitled to dream and nothing is impossible.”

The Blue Sharks proved him right, overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds.

A woman, her face painted with a flag of the archipelago, held a sign that read: “Small Islands, Big Dreams.”

A dream that these underdogs have made reality as they continue their charmed run on the world stage.

They did it with another strong game from Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper whose tournament success has helped him amass more than 16 million Instagram followers.

He had a save in first half stoppage time, grabbing a header from Mohamed Kanno to keep Saudi Arabia scoreless. Another save came in the 66th minute when he leaped to deflect a shot from Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat.

A third came in the 92nd minute when he stopped a shot by Abdullah Al-Hamdan.

Information from The Associated Press and ESPN Research contributed to this report.