Cape Verde’s maiden World Cup adventure is already one of the tournament’s most remarkable stories, and the Blue Sharks now stand on the verge of achieving even more.
Their campaign began with a result that stunned the football world. On their World Cup debut, Cape Verde earned a draw against Spain, a side ranked 65 places above them in FIFA’s standings and widely expected to cruise past the tournament newcomers.
They followed that performance with another eye-catching display, holding two-time world champions Uruguay to an entertaining 2-2 draw. The result leaves Cape Verde firmly in the race for a place in the knockout stages and has reinforced the belief that they belong on football’s biggest stage.
Against Uruguay, the Blue Sharks combined attacking ambition with composure and resilience. Their willingness to play positively created problems for one of the game’s traditional powers, while the determination that underpinned their historic result against Spain was once again evident throughout the contest.
Representing an Atlantic island nation of 10 islands and a population of fewer than 525,000 people, Cape Verde have more than matched two of the World Cup’s established heavyweights. What began as an underdog story is rapidly becoming one of the defining narratives of the tournament.
Now only Saudi Arabia stands between them and a place in the knockout stages of the World Cup.
And FIFA may feel that their progress is justification in itself for the decision to expand the tournament this time to 48 teams.
Turkey, meanwhile, with a population 160 times greater, and with a team featuring stars who play for some of the biggest club sides in Europe can only look on with envy.
