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Unbreakable and unbeaten! Cape Verde claim first-ever World Cup goals in Uruguay draw
22nd June, 2026 06:29 AM
World Cup debutants Cape Verde’s fairy tale run on the global football stage continued as they battled two-time World Cup winners Uruguay to a thrilling 2-2 draw at Miami Stadium on Monday, June 22, 2026.
The debutant African nation remains unbeaten in its opening two Group H games, clawing back to deny a South American powerhouse ranked 40 spots above it.
The hard-earned point keeps the Blue Sharks afloat and firmly within reach of qualification for the Round of 32 heading into their final group assignment.
The Islanders had already hogged the headlines with a historic debut draw against Spain days ago, and they showed exactly why they continue to earn the support of neutrals with another remarkable performance against Marcelo Bielsa’s highly ranked side.
Moment of history
Their moment of history arrived 20 minutes into the first half when Kevin Pina’s unstoppable thunderbolt whistled past the Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera. The memorable strike sealed the island nation’s first-ever goal on the World Cup stage.
However, Bielsa’s men hit back with two quick goals late in the first half through Maximiliano Araújo and Agustín Canobbio. It looked as though the South Americans would strengthen their grip on the match after the break, but the African newcomers had other ideas, demonstrating the same resilience that had won over crowds during their opener against Spain.
The new hero
While goalkeeper Vozinha was the match hero for his stupendous saves against Spain, the Blue Sharks found a new saviour coming off the substitute bench. Helio Varela became the man of the moment.
The second-half substitute had not been on the pitch long when he exploited a rare defensive blunder, beating the rushing veteran keeper to a loose ball with a delicate first touch before volleying it into an empty net from distance.
The Cape Verde bench erupted after the spectacular strike, sprinting down to the corner flag to celebrate in front of their passionate supporters, who sang and waved flags from the first minute to the last.
Group H standings
With Cape Verde now sitting third in Group H on two points—level with Uruguay and just two points behind leaders Spain—the Africans have plenty of reason to believe. They head into their final group tie against Saudi Arabia with a historic place in the Round of 32 up for grabs.
Uruguay, meanwhile, will face a daunting final-round challenge against group leaders Spain.
