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Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha (1) applauds the gang as he leaves after the World Cup round of 32 football match between Argentina and Cape Verde in Miami Gardens, Fla., Friday, July 3, 2026. (AP Photo\/Lynne Sladky)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida \u2014 Cape Verde\u2019s World Cup team walked into its Miami hotel after getting eliminated from the tournament, almost in disbelief on the scene within the lobby.<\/p>\n
Dozens of individuals were there, cheering for them.<\/p>\n
After a loss, no less.<\/p>\n
Let that be the primary sign of how things are going to be very different in lots of respects for the team, a minimum of for the foreseeable future. Such is the case when a club goes from unheralded \u2014 and practically unheard of \u2014 to taking Lionel Messi and Argentina to the brink of elimination on football\u2019s biggest stage, before falling 3-2 in a match that went to time beyond regulation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s time to rest and think in regards to the future,\u201d Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha said. \u201cBut I’m very, very pleased with the team\u2019s work, and I hope that in the long run we will achieve great things.\u201d<\/p>\n
In other words, he hopes seeds were planted.<\/p>\n
Cape Verde went 0-1-3 in its 4 matches at its inaugural World Cup, which won\u2019t look great on paper. Greater than two-thirds of the 48 teams on this tournament won a minimum of one game; Cape Verde wasn\u2019t certainly one of them.<\/p>\n
However the record simply doesn\u2019t tell the entire story.<\/p>\n
It played Spain to a scoreless draw to open the group stage, making the prospect of advancing to the knockout stage very real. There have been two more ties in group play \u2014 a 2-2 tie against Uruguay that put Cape Verde getting ready to advancing, then a 0-0 tie against Saudi Arabia that was adequate to get the round of 32 trip secured.<\/p>\n
Argentina\u2019s players and coaches, to their credit, insisted they didn’t expect a cakewalk past Cape Verde. And when the match was over, Messi \u2014 generally considered to be the best player of all time \u2014 had nothing but compliments for the underdog opponent.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome people thought the match was going to be straightforward, but that couldn\u2019t have been farther from reality,\u201d Messi said after Friday\u2019s match. \u201cThey pressed us rather well. There aren’t any handouts in knockout football. They\u2019d already performed well against Spain and Uruguay, so we knew it was going to be difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Argentina, getting the win was indeed difficult.<\/p>\n
For Cape Verde, coming to grips that the ride ends here was also difficult.<\/p>\n
That said, once they walked through that hotel lobby, it was just like the return of conquering heroes. Bubista, the team\u2019s coach, shook his fist in celebration. Many players couldn\u2019t stop smiling. Vozinha shook some hands and posed for a number of photos.<\/p>\n
They were celebrities. Rock stars, almost. The rating didn\u2019t matter. The totality of three weeks that put Cape Verde on soccer\u2019s map did matter.<\/p>\n