Cape Verde, an island nation off the west coast of Africa, has made history by becoming the smallest country ever to reach the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup. The Blue Sharks, debutants in the 2026 tournament, advanced from a tough group that included Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia.

With a population of just over half a million, Cape Verde secured three points from three draws, finishing second in the group. Their defensive resilience was key, keeping two clean sheets in three matches.

The team's success is partly attributed to a recruitment strategy targeting the diaspora: six of the starting eleven in their final group game were born abroad, in the Netherlands, Ireland, France, and Portugal.

Goalkeeper Vozinha (Josimar Jose Evora Dias), aged 40, has been instrumental, making seven saves against Spain and keeping two clean sheets. His Instagram following skyrocketed from 500,000 to 17.4 million.

Cape Verde will face defending champions Argentina in the round of 32 on Friday in Miami. The match kicks off at 5:00 PM local time (22:00 GMT).

This is not Cape Verde's first major tournament; they have participated in four Africa Cup of Nations, reaching the quarterfinals in 2013 and 2023. They narrowly missed qualification for the 2022 World Cup.

Source: www.aljazeera.com