Cape Verde Makes History Again

The Blue Sharks continue their dream World Cup debut. After holding Spain to a shock 0-0 draw in their tournament opener, World Cup debutants Cape Verde have done it again, securing a historic 2-2 draw with two-time champions Uruguay in Group H.

Kevin Pina etched his name into Cape Verde folklore with a stunning long-range free kick in the 21st minute — the nation's first-ever World Cup goal, scored from an expected goals value of just 0.04. The set piece, perfectly placed beyond Muslera's reach, sent shockwaves through the Miami Stadium.

Uruguay fought back valiantly in the first half. Maxi Araújo's header drew them level in the 44th minute, before the same player turned provider to set up Canobbio for a clinical finish in stoppage time. La Celeste went into the break with a 2-1 lead and control of the game.

But the second half brought more drama. In the 61st minute, a catastrophic error from 40-year-old goalkeeper Fernando Muslera — his fourth World Cup mistake leading to a goal — allowed substitute Héldon Varela to tap into an empty net and earn Cape Verde a famous point.

With Vozinha in goal delivering another masterclass between the posts, Cape Verde now stand on the brink of knockout stage qualification. A win against Saudi Arabia in the final group game would see the tournament debutants through to the Round of 16.