After the match with Spain (0-0), Cape Verde performed its… miracle again against Uruguay, earning a 2-2 draw in the context of the 2nd matchday of the 8th group of the 2026 World Cup and with 2 points in the same number of games (the same as the “celeste”), it remained “alive” in the battle for qualification to the “32” phase, which it will claim in the last matchday against Saudi Arabia.

At Miami’s “Hard Rock Stadium”, the Africans made a sensation again and managed to take the lead in the 21st minute with an excellent direct free kick by Kevin Pina Lenini, who scored the first goal for Cape Verde in a World Cup final.

The Uruguayans, without… impressing, found a way to reach the breakthrough before halftime. Araujo in the 44th minute with a fish-eye header (after a header by Bentancur hit the post) and Canobio with a place kick in the 45th minute + 6th minute brought things up and down for the “celeste”.

In the second half, however, Cape Verde found an equalizer in the 61st minute, when, due to a big mistake by Olivera, Elio Varela, who had entered the field three minutes earlier, stole the ball, avoided Musleras and made it 2-2 for Cape Verde amidst apotheosis.

Uruguay pressed for the third goal, but squandered every great opportunity they created, and the final 2-2 “sealed” the efforts of both teams.

Referee : Espen Eskas (Norway)
Yellow cards : 20′ Bendtncourt, 58′ Olivera – 5′ Cabral (misses next match against Saudi Arabia), 90+4′ Deeney
Redundancies : –

The lineups of the two teams:
URUGUAY (Marcelo Bielsa) : Muslera, Varela, Cáceres, Olivera, Sanabria, Ugarte (70′ De La Cruz), Bentancur, Canobio, Maxi Araujo (81′ Rodriguez), Valverde, Vinas (70′ Nunez).
CAPE GREEN (Pedro Leitão Brito “Bubista”) : Vozinha, Moreira, Pico, Deeney, Cabral, Lenini (71′ Laros Duarte), Arkanzo, Mendes, Monteiro (80′ Semedo), Rodriguez (58′ Elio Varela), Bencimol (59′ Da Costa).