2026 World Cup: How Cape Verde Reached the Round of 32 Without Winning Single Game
- Cape Verde reached the World Cup knockout stage on debut despite failing to win any of their three group matches
- The Blue Sharks advanced with three draws against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia
- Cape Verde now face defending champions Argentina in a historic Round of 32 clash
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Cape Verde continued their incredible World Cup journey on Saturday morning by reaching the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time in their history.
The island nation secured qualification after holding Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw at the NRG Stadium in Texas, finishing second behind Spain in Group L.
Source: Getty Images
What makes Cape Verde’s achievement even more remarkable is that they managed to reach the Round of 32 without winning a single match.
So how did a team with no victories make it through to the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup?
Cape Verde’s historic World Cup 2026 campaign
The Blue Sharks started their tournament with an impressive 1-1 draw against European champions Spain, with goalkeeper Vozinha producing an outstanding performance to help his team earn a valuable point.
They followed that result with another battling display against Uruguay, a team ranked 45 places higher than them in the world rankings.
Cape Verde held Uruguay to a 2-2 draw, putting themselves in a strong position heading into their final group match against Saudi Arabia.
Their qualification hopes depended on the final round of fixtures, and they needed the right results to go their way.
Spain defeated Uruguay in the other Group L match to secure top spot, while Cape Verde earned their third consecutive draw after playing out a goalless stalemate with Saudi Arabia.
How Cape Verde qualified without winning a game
The results meant Spain finished first in the group with seven points, while Cape Verde secured second place with three points thanks to their three draws.
Uruguay finished third with two points after losing to Spain and drawing against both Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia.
However, Uruguay’s two points were not enough to qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, meaning they were eliminated alongside Saudi Arabia, who also finished with two points but had an inferior goal difference.
Cape Verde have now become the first team since Chile at the 1998 World Cup in France to reach the knockout stage after drawing all their group matches.
Head coach Bubista praised his players after their historic achievement, saying the team always believed qualification was possible.
“It’s a bit of a shock, although we’d always had it in mind that we might reach this stage after the first two matches,” Bubista said.
“We told the players they had to work hard and have confidence because the reward would come. And here we are. The people of Cape Verde should be proud of what this team has done so far. It’s something incredible.”
Cape Verde’s reward for their historic run is a Round of 32 clash against defending champions Argentina.
Bubista’s side will face Lionel Messi and Argentina at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 4, hoping to continue one of the biggest underdog stories of the tournament.
Source: YEN.com.gh
