Cape Verde turned their 2026 World Cup debut into a historic feat by grinding out a key 0-0 draw against Spain, keeping their dreams alive of securing another positive result against Uruguay and fighting for qualification to the next round. This is not the only positive impact they have experienced, as they have also climbed positions in the FIFA ranking.
Cape Verde climbed four spots in the FIFA ranking, moving from 67th to 63rd place with 1,389.79 points, thanks to that draw against Spain, who were ranked second but dropped to third place following the result. Meanwhile, Uruguay dropped two spots and are now in 18th place.
Cape Verde’s performance was an impressive collective effort, featuring a compact defensive block, and they look to repeat it or take a few more risks against Uruguay, who, on paper, are a slightly easier opponent than Spain. They will rely on their new star, goalkeeper Vozinha, who was the MVP and gained the largest number of followers.
Cape Verde chase a historic feat
Cape Verde need a positive result in today’s match, whether a victory or another draw, to add points and move one step closer to the next round. If a draw happens, they will accumulate a total of two points in the overall Group H standings after their first two official appearances. This result would keep the team alive heading into the final match of the opening stage, but it would leave it with no margin for error and under immense psychological pressure.
Federico Valverde of Uruguay
With a draw, Cape Verde will be forced to defeat Saudi Arabia—who, on paper, are the most accessible opponent in the group for them—on the final matchday to guarantee their direct ticket to the top two in the zone.
A victory would already be marked as one of the greatest feats of the 2026 World Cup; Uruguay would remain on one point and would find themselves at the bottom of Group H alongside Saudi Arabia.
That scenario would place enormous pressure on Bielsa’s squad ahead of the final match against Spain. With only one point entering the last round, Uruguay would almost certainly need to defeat the Spaniards to have a realistic chance of advancing. This task will be challenging because, given how the group is unfolding, Spain still has nothing guaranteed.
