A country with a population smaller than most mid-sized American cities just went toe-to-toe with two-time World Cup champions and walked away with a point. Cape Verde drew 2-2 with Uruguay on June 21 at Miami Stadium, continuing what might be the most compelling underdog story of the 2026 tournament.
This wasn’t a fluke result from a team parking the bus and stealing a late equalizer. Cape Verde actually scored first, trailed 2-1, and clawed their way back to level terms.
A free kick for the history books
Kevin Pina wrote his name into Cape Verde football history in the 21st minute. His 30-yard free kick found the net to become the country’s first-ever World Cup goal.
Uruguay, to their credit, did not panic. Maxi Araújo equalized in the 44th minute, and then Agustín Canobbio added a second deep into first-half stoppage time, at the 45+6 mark, to give the South Americans a 2-1 lead heading into the break.
