World Cup 2026: How Cape Verde made history on their tournament debut
Cape Verde have made history by becoming the smallest nation to reach the knockout stage at the World Cup.
The prize for a side representing a group of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean will be to face defending champions Argentina in the last 32.
Players huddled around a mobile phone on the pitch following their goalless draw with Saudi Arabia to watch the final moments of Spain's win over Uruguay - a result that confirmed Cape Verde finished as Group H runners-up.
"Tears of pride and joy all around the stands," said BBC Radio 5 Live commentator Rob Law in Houston.
"There was a beautiful moment where they were all huddled around waiting on their phones, waiting for the full-time whistle to go.
"When it did, tears flowed on the pitch and in the stands as well. What a moment. The moment of the World Cup so far."
That followed an incredible goalless draw in their opening game against Spain, where 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha was the hero, and a 2-2 draw with two-time World Cup winners Uruguay.
"It's incredible what they are doing, it wasn't just one game against Spain, it is three games at the highest level," said Spain's former World Cup winner Juan Mata on ITV.
How has a nation of just 525,000 inhabitants, who qualified ahead of five-time African champions Cameroon, made it this far?
Diaspora factor and plan to reach 'big table'
Cape Verde aims to capitalise on maiden World Cup appearance
The main reason behind the Blue Sharks' success has been the decision by Cape Verde's football federation (FCF) to draw on players from the country's diaspora.
There are strong links to the former colonial power Portugal, with a series of severe droughts last century prompting heavy emigration from the islands, while a seafaring tradition and involvement in the maritime trade mean there is a sizeable population with Cape Verdean roots in Rotterdam.
Fourteen members of their 26-man World Cup squad were born abroad, with six of them hailing from the Dutch port city.
One of that number, forward Dailon Livramento, who spent last season playing for Casa Pia in Portugal's Primeira Liga, scored the only goal in their vital qualifying win over Cameroon last September.
"The FCF has made significant progress through passion, commitment and a clear technical plan," Josina Freitas Fortes, a member of Cape Verde's parliament, told BBC Sport Africa.
"The results we are seeing are largely the product of years of consistent work, strong belief and people who have given their heart to the project."
The recruitment of Dublin-born centre-back Roberto Lopes via business networking website LinkedIn in 2019 is a well-told story, while former Manchester United winger Bebe was part of their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) squad after representing Portugal at under-21 level.
"There is an inner confidence in this team that we are good enough to mix with the best teams in the world," Lopes said.
"It's not something that's just been fabricated out of nothing. Since I've been involved, and before that, there's been an ongoing plan to get Cape Verde up at the big table with the big football nations of the world."
Coaching stability - 'strength, unity, resilience'
Much credit for Cape Verde's performances must go to coach Bubista, a former international himself who has been in charge since January 2020.
A stable coaching set-up has allowed the 56-year-old former centre-back to build a compact and well-drilled side with an organised defence, technical midfielders and gifted forwards who upset Ghana and drew with Egypt during a run to the quarter-finals at Afcon 2023, having only made their tournament debut 10 years earlier.
They may have had Vozinha to thank for the seven saves the veteran goalkeeper made in the goalless draw with Spain, but their discipline was underlined by the fact the Blue Sharks only conceded one foul against the 2010 champions - the fewest recorded by a team in a World Cup match since 1966.
"We always train and play as one unit, so everything we did in the game was not our first time that we did it," defender Sidny Lopes Cabral told the BBC World Service.
"For us, it's our game. This is how we play, this is who we are.
"This is our personality as a team and as defenders."
Cape Verde took a more attacking and expansive approach in their second Group H outing against Uruguay, but also demonstrated their steely resolve by grabbing a second-half equaliser.
"More important than the result is to be able to show our identity as a team, our strength, our unity, and also our resilience," Bubista said.
Bubista was recognised for his achievement in delivering World Cup qualification by being named the continent's coach of the year for 2025 by the Confederation of African Football.
He has always believed that his side had the potential to mix it with the world's elite.
"We have done really well considering how small our country is," he told BBC Sport Africa before the 2021 Afcon, when the Blue Sharks reached the last 16.
"I think in the future we'll be at the World Cup."
That bold prediction has come to pass, and now Bubista hopes Cape Verde's achievements at the expanded tournament can inspire other underdogs around the globe.
"I believe that football belongs to everyone, or is for everyone," he said.
The reward? Argentina in the knockouts
Cape Verde's reward will be to face Lionel Messi's Argentina in Miami in the last 32 on Friday.
Midfielder Deroy Duarte, named man of the match against Saudi Arabia, said: "Honestly, it's mad. I feel like I'm in a dream.
"First, let's celebrate. We're so happy. Let's hope all Cape Verdeans are happy too. From tomorrow, we'll focus on the next match.
"It's against Argentina, isn't it? A tough match, but let's believe. Anything is possible."
Former Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Celtic and Australia boss Ange Postecoglou told ITV: "It's just a great story for what the World Cup is all about.
"We often talk about how football touches every part of the globe and this is what it can do.
"It just adds to their story. Playing against the reigning champions. What a great story it's been."
Former England and Manchester United defender Gary Neville added: "I think those sceptics who thought expanding the World Cup wasn't the right thing might be rethinking it watching these Cape Verde fans, because this is really special.
"A country of 500,000 people getting to the knockout phase. We've seen Uruguay, one of the biggest countries, going out and then one of the smallest teams making it. What a moment for them."
中文翻譯（zh-TW）
維德角（Cape Verde）成為史上最小的國家闖進世界盃淘汰賽，寫下歷史新頁。
這支來自大西洋上十座島嶼組成的國家隊，下一場將在 32 強面對衛冕冠軍阿根廷。
球員們在與沙烏地阿拉伯 0:0 踢平後，圍著一支手機站在草皮上，等著看西班牙對烏拉圭收尾——西班牙最終獲勝，也確定維德角以 H 組第二晉級。
BBC Radio 5 Live 駐休士頓球評 Rob Law 描述：「看台上滿是驕傲與喜悅的眼淚。」
「有個很美的畫面，他們全部擠在一起盯著手機，等終場哨聲響起。」
「哨聲一響，球場上、看台上眼淚就決堤了。多麼動人的一刻，目前為止是這屆世界盃最動人的瞬間。」
在這之前，他們先是與西班牙踢出震驚足壇的 0:0，由 40 歲門將 Vozinha 化身英雄；接著又跟兩屆世界盃冠軍烏拉圭打成 2:2。
曾代表西班牙拿過世界盃冠軍的 Juan Mata 在 ITV 上說：「他們做的事情太不可思議了，不只是對西班牙那一場，是連續三場跟最高層級的對手周旋。」
一個僅 525,000 人口、在資格賽踢掉五屆非洲冠軍喀麥隆的小國，到底是怎麼走到這一步的？
海外僑民的紅利、走向「大舞台」的計畫
維德角期待把首次參加世界盃的成果轉化為長期紅利
「藍鯊」（Blue Sharks）成功的主因，是足協（FCF）決定大量徵召海外僑民後裔。
維德角與前殖民母國葡萄牙連結深厚，上世紀的多次嚴重乾旱迫使大量島民外移；再加上長期航海貿易傳統，鹿特丹也有相當規模的維德角裔社群。
26 人世界盃名單中有 14 人在海外出生，光是來自鹿特丹這座荷蘭港都的就有 6 人。
其中之一是上季效力葡萄牙超級聯賽 Casa Pia 的前鋒 Dailon Livramento，他在去年九月對喀麥隆的關鍵資格賽進球，那場勝利讓維德角拿到晉級門票。
「FCF 靠著熱情、承諾以及清晰的技術藍圖，做出明顯的進步。」維德角國會議員 Josina Freitas Fortes 對 BBC Sport Africa 表示。
「我們現在看到的成果，大半來自多年來持續不懈的耕耘、堅定的信念，以及那些全心投入這個計畫的人。」
2019 年透過商務社群網站 LinkedIn 招來都柏林出生的中後衛 Roberto Lopes，已是經典軼事；前曼聯邊鋒 Bebe 則在曾代表葡萄牙 U-21 後，加入了維德角 2023 年非洲國家盃（Afcon）的陣中。
Lopes 說：「這支隊伍內在有一股自信，相信自己夠格跟世界頂尖球隊周旋。」
「這不是無中生有的東西。從我加入之前到現在，一直都有個計畫，要把維德角帶到跟世界足球大國同桌的位置。」
教練班底穩定：「力量、團結、韌性」
維德角的表現，很大一部分要歸功於總教練 Bubista——他本身就是前國腳，2020 年 1 月起就接手球隊。
穩定的教練團讓這位 56 歲的前中後衛能慢慢把球隊磨成緊湊、訓練有素的整體：嚴密的防線、技術型中場、有天賦的鋒線。十年前才首度打進非洲國家盃的維德角，2023 年那屆爆冷打掉迦納、跟埃及握手言和，一路殺進八強。
對西班牙那場 0:0，老門將 Vozinha 撲出 7 次救球當然居功厥偉，但藍鯊的紀律從另一項數據也看得出來：他們對 2010 年世界冠軍只犯了 1 次規——這是 1966 年以來世界盃單場最少的犯規數。
「我們一直都是當作一個整體在訓練、在比賽，比賽裡做的每一件事都不是第一次做。」後衛 Sidny Lopes Cabral 對 BBC 國際頻道（World Service）說。
「對我們來說，這就是我們的踢法。我們就是這樣的人。」
「這是我們作為一支球隊、作為後衛的人格。」
到了 H 組第二場對烏拉圭，維德角更積極進攻、踢得更開闊，靠下半場扳平球展現鋼鐵般的意志。
「比起結果，更重要的是能展現我們作為一支球隊的身分認同——我們的力量、團結，還有韌性。」Bubista 說。
把球隊帶上世界盃舞台的功勞，讓 Bubista 拿下非洲足聯（CAF）2025 年度最佳教練。
他一直相信這支球隊有能力跟世界頂尖球隊較量。
2021 年非洲國家盃前（那屆藍鯊打進 16 強），他就告訴過 BBC Sport Africa：「以我們國家這麼小來說，已經做得很好了。」
「我覺得未來我們會出現在世界盃。」
這個大膽預言成真了。如今 Bubista 希望維德角在這屆擴編後的世界盃寫下的成就，能激勵全球其他弱者球隊。
「我相信足球是屬於所有人的，足球是為所有人而存在的。」他說。
獎品？淘汰賽 32 強碰阿根廷
維德角的「獎品」，就是週五在邁阿密 32 強對上梅西（Lionel Messi）領軍的阿根廷。
對沙烏地阿拉伯一戰榮膺最佳球員的中場 Deroy Duarte 說：「老實說，這太瘋狂了，我好像在做夢。」
「先慶祝吧。我們真的好開心，希望全維德角的人也一樣開心。明天起，我們就把焦點放到下一場。」
「下一場是對阿根廷對吧？不好打，但讓我們相信。一切都有可能。」
前熱刺、諾丁漢森林、塞爾提克、澳洲總教練 Ange Postecoglou 在 ITV 說：「這就是世界盃這項賽事最棒的故事。」
「我們常常說足球觸及世界的每個角落，這就是足球能做到的事。」
「對上衛冕冠軍，又替他們的故事添了一筆。多麼動人的故事。」
前英格蘭與曼聯後衛 Gary Neville 補充：「那些覺得擴編世界盃不是好主意的懷疑論者，看著這些維德角球迷，可能正在重新思考；因為這真的非常特別。」
「一個 50 萬人口的國家闖進淘汰賽。我們看到烏拉圭——足球大國之一——被淘汰，最小的隊伍之一卻晉級。多麼動人的時刻。」
中文翻譯由 Claude（Anthropic）協助完成，人名／隊名以原文呈現，僅對通用譯名（梅西、內維爾、塞爾提克等）採台灣慣用譯法。