Cape Verde eliminated by Argentina, but still a World Cup winner: ‘I’m very proud of what we did’
.JPG "Cape Verde midfielder Deroy Duarte (14) reacts after scoring in the second half against Argentina during their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 soccer match at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium) on July 3, 2026, in Miami Gardens.")
Cape Verde entered the biggest soccer match in its country’s history looking for a win and respect.
“It’s the match of our lives, there’s nothing to fear or worry about too much,” Cape Verde coach Bubista said after his team earned draws in each of its three group-stage games to become the smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup knockouts. “We respect Argentina, Lionel Scaloni, and Lionel Messi, but we also deserve respect.”
Cape Verde didn’t get the win, as its first-ever World Cup appearance ended in the Round of 32 with a 3-2 loss in extra time to defending World Cup champion Argentina on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
But Cape Verde, which is a West African island nation that has a population of just around 525,000 and entered Friday’s match at 64th in FIFA’s world rankings, definitely earned the respect of the soccer world with its Cinderella run through the group stage and a valiant effort against second-ranked Argentina.
“I’m very proud of what we did throughout this tournament,” Bubista said after Friday’s loss. “I think more so than just playing, this was about showing the world our identity.”
After Lionel Messi put Argentina ahead 1-0 in the 29th minute, Cape Verde came alive early in the second half to even the score on a goal from Deroy Duarte in the 59th minute.
Cape Verde, which got off just one shot in the first half, took the first three shots of the second half push its way back into the match and force extra time.
Early in extra time, Argentina again pulled ahead 2-1 with a goal from Lisandro Martinez in the 92nd minute.
But the resilient and defiant Cape Verde wouldn’t go away, responding with a perfectly placed laser off the foot of Sidny Lopes Cabral that landed in the upper right-hand corner of the net for a game-tying goal in the 103rd minute.
“I think that being able to equalize against Argentina twice, coming from behind,” Bubista said, “I think shows how resilient our team is and how strong our character is.”
Argentina finally got the game-winning goal on an own-goal off the head of Cape Verde’s Diney Borges in the 111th minute after a corner kick from Messi.
“Everybody thought this match was going to be a walk in the park,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “We were sure it wasn’t.”
Friday didn’t ruin Cape Verde’s World Cup debut, though. It just ended it.
Cape Verde began this run by making a statement, producing a shocking 0-0 draw against soccer powerhouse Spain on June 15 in its first-ever World Cup match. Cape Verde then closed the group stage by earning draws against Uruguay on June 21 and Saudi Arabia on June 26.
While Cape Verde fell to Argentina in stoppage time on Friday, it never lost in regulation across its four matches during the World Cup.
Cape Verde 40-year-old goalkeeper Josimar Jose Evora Dias, also known as Vozinha, became a fan favorite along the way. Vozinha continued his impressive World Cup on Friday with eight saves, including a fantastic stop of a clean shot from Messi in a one-on-one situation.
But Cape Verde’s World Cup run also included some distractions, as the team has been faced with reports that captain Ryan Mendes is under investigation by police in New Zealand over allegations he raped a Brazilian woman working as a team translator in March after a FIFA Series game against Chile in New Zealand. The woman accused Mendes, Cape Verde’s all-time leading scorer, of forcing his way into her hotel room in Auckland and then raping her. Mendes, 36, has not been charged with a crime yet.
In the end, Cape Verde’s first World Cup appearance proved to be successful. After all, Cape Verde scored goals against three World Cup champions during this run — Argentina, Spain and Uruguay.
“We owe it to our team and to the African people to show that a country may be small, struggle financially, but if they are resilient and endure struggles, they can stand shoulder to shoulder with big teams with different financial conditions,” Bubista said earlier in the World Cup. “In sports, particularly in futbol, it has to do with organization, courage and determination. Once you are on the pitch, a lot of things become equal. National teams become equal. You can show that in other aspects of life, too. You can achieve great things, so long as you have a dream.”
Cape Verde proved that and more over the last few weeks.
“We showed that we may be a small country, but we can play against some of the best teams in the world,” Bubista said. “That’s reason for great pride.”
