Cape Verde’s debut World Cup journey stays alive after a 2-2 draw with Uruguay kept the team unbeaten and within reach of the last 32. A win against Saudi Arabia on Friday would secure progression, with the Opta supercomputer giving Bubista’s side a 69.8% chance of reaching the knockout stage.

The tournament newcomers had already held European champions Spain to a 0-0 draw in their Group H opener. Cape Verde are the first debutant nation to avoid defeat in their first two World Cup matches since Senegal in 2002, with a record of one win and one draw.

Bubista highlighted the wider meaning of Cape Verde’s campaign, stressing how performances against leading nations show what smaller teams can achieve. The coach spoke about equality on the pitch and ambitions beyond football, delivering a clear message on belief and persistence.

“Once you’re on the pitch, a lot of things become equal. As big as the opponent might be on the world stage, many national teams become equal,” Bubista told reporters. “We wanted to show that is true not only in football, but also in other aspects of life. You can achieve great things regardless of your challenges, whether they’re financial or of any other kind, so long as you have a dream and chase after it.”

Statistically, Cape Verde also made history with their attacking play. Kevin Pina opened the scoring with a powerful direct free-kick from 32 metres, which is the longest-range goal of the 2026 tournament so far. It was the first time on record, since 1966, that a nation’s maiden World Cup goal came from a direct free-kick.

Uruguay responded quickly to that setback and turned the match around before half-time. Maxi Araujo and Agustin Canobbio both found the net to give Marcelo Bielsa’s side a 2-1 lead at the break, placing Cape Verde under serious pressure after their strong start.

Cape Verde continued to attack after the interval and were rewarded in the 61st minute. Helio Varela capitalised on a misjudgement from Fernando Muslera, collecting the loose ball and finishing into an empty goal. Cape Verde became only the second African side on record, after Nigeria against Greece in 1994, to score multiple goals from outside the box in a World Cup match.

There was controversy around Uruguay’s first goal, which arrived while Telmo Arcanjo was down with cramp. Uruguay’s Federico Vinas initially helped stretch Arcanjo’s leg, then released it and sprinted into the area once the attack developed, something that left Bubista disappointed with the situation.

“I was upset by that, because Bielsa taught us to have fair play. That’s in his press conferences and the matches his teams play. We learned what fair play was from his attitude,” he said. “It felt frustrating, but that’s part of the game and part of the experience of growing with the team. We could have done something to prevent that situation, we could have kicked the ball off the pitch, but we’re trying to do things our own way. It’s also natural that players will sometimes feel pressured, and we can say that about the Uruguay team as well. We can only grow from what happened.”

World Cup Cape Verde Uruguay group outlook

The draw leaves both Group H fixtures on Friday carrying major importance. Cape Verde know a victory over Saudi Arabia guarantees a place in the last 32, while Uruguay must beat Spain to be certain of advancing, after taking just two points from their opening two matches.

Araujo accepted that Uruguay’s situation means individual achievements have less value if the team do not progress. The forward reflected on scoring during the draw and underlined the scale of their task against Spain, who are viewed within the Uruguay camp as the strongest opponent in the group.

“The goal is useless, but it was still good. We have one more game left, we need to win and that’s what we have to go out and look for,” Araujo said. “It is useless because that is something individual. Hopefully, on Friday I can score and play a great game so that the goal is useful. It’s up to us, we’re going to play against the first team, against whom we feel is the strongest. We have to prepare and go out to win, and look at them face to face.”

Cape Verde now approach their meeting with Saudi Arabia carrying confidence, strong defensive numbers and notable scoring records from distance. Uruguay’s hopes rest on overcoming Spain, while Bubista’s team stand one win away from extending a debut World Cup campaign that has already produced historic results and influential performances.