The Cape Verde national team surprised many by coming from behind to draw with Uruguay, keeping their hopes alive for advancing to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup.
The 2026 World Cup Group Stage, Group H, Matchday 2 took place on Sunday night, 21 Jun 2026 GMT+7, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, USA, featuring a fierce match between Uruguay and Cape Verde.
In the 20th minute of the first half, Cape Verde earned a promising free kick, and Kevin Lenini struck with his right foot, the ball piercing through the wall and into the net, marking their first-ever goal in World Cup history.
Then, in the 44th minute, Uruguay equalized 1-1: Rodrigo Bentancur headed the ball against the post, which bounced perfectly to Maximiliano Araújo, who headed it into the net.
Not stopping there, in stoppage time at 45+6 minutes, Uruguay took the lead 2-1 with a goal from Agustín Canobbio, ending the first half with that score.
In the second half, at the 61st minute, Cape Verde equalized 2-2 through a shot by Helio Varela. Later, Uruguay almost regained the lead, but Araújo’s goal was disallowed after a VAR offside review.
Neither team scored further in the remaining time. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, with both teams holding 2 points from 2 matches. They must now fight for qualification alongside Spain and Saudi Arabia in the final group matches.
Group H final match schedule (to be played on 27 Jun 2026 GMT+7):
Uruguay vs Spain
Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia