In one of the biggest surprises of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Cape Verde continued their dream campaign by holding Uruguay to a dramatic 2-2 draw in Group H on Sunday. The result leaves the South American giants in a difficult position, with their place in the knockout stage still hanging in the balance ahead of their final group match against Spain.
Cape Verde had already stunned football fans by securing a goalless draw against Spain in their first ever World Cup appearance. They followed that impressive display with another fearless performance against Uruguay.
The African side took the lead in the 21st minute when Kevin Pina scored Cape Verde’s first ever World Cup goal. His long range free kick slipped through the Uruguay wall and beat goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, sending the Cape Verde supporters into wild celebrations.
Uruguay responded strongly before halftime. In the 44th minute, Maxi Araujo equalised with a close range header after Manuel Ugarte’s effort rebounded off the post. Moments later, Araujo turned provider by setting up Agustin Canobbio, who calmly finished to give Uruguay a 2-1 lead.
However, Cape Verde refused to surrender. In the 61st minute, substitute Helio Varela capitalised on a defensive mistake by Mathias Olivera. He intercepted a poor pass and brilliantly guided the ball into the empty net to make it 2-2.
Both teams pushed hard for a winner in the closing stages. Jamiro Monteiro came close for Cape Verde, while Canobbio missed a golden opportunity for Uruguay in the final minute by blasting his shot over the bar.
The draw earned Cape Verde their second point of the tournament and further strengthened their reputation as one of the surprise packages of the competition. Meanwhile, Uruguay now face enormous pressure and must produce a strong performance against Spain to keep their hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stage alive.
