ELIMINATEDR32ROUND OF 32H2Group H, finished 2ndGROUP H · 2ND
IN OUR BEST THIRDS RANKING
#33OUR RANK
3PTS
-1GD
4GF
Cape Verde Islands is out of the 2026 World Cup, eliminated after the Round of 32 (1/16 finals).
The Blue Sharks opened their 2026 World Cup with a goalless draw against Spain, 65 places higher in the world ranking, an early statement of resilience. A 2-2 draw with Uruguay, 51 places higher in the world ranking, followed on matchday 2, and Cape Verde Islands closed the group with another goalless draw, this time against Saudi Arabia, 6 places higher in the world ranking. Three points were enough to finish runners-up in Group H and reach the knockout rounds.
Cape Verde Islands, ranked 67th in the world, pushed top-ranked Argentina all the way in the Round of 32 before losing 3-2 after extra time. A memorable knockout debut for the islanders.
Across 4 matches (group stage included), Cape Verde Islands has averaged 0.75 points and 1.00 goals scored per game, with 1.25 fair-play points lost per game.
R32Round of 32LOST LOST 2-3, after extra timeArgentina
WHERE IT ALL STARTED
No bubble needed. Cape Verde Islands went through as a group runner-up, clear of the best-third race entirely.
How hard was Cape Verde Islands’s road at this World Cup?
Every team’s road through the tournament, on one chart. Each line shows
how hard each stage is. The base is the gap in FIFA world ranking between
the two sides; on top of that, current form (each team’s last three matches, and how
convincingly they were won against how strong an opponent) nudges the step: a hot opponent makes it
taller, a team’s own hot form makes its own steps shorter. Higher means a tougher road. In the group stage the opponents are known, so each match sits at a
fixed height; each knockout round shows the average difficulty across every opponent still left in that round. Cape Verde Islands’s road is highlighted, along with every team it played. Hover or tap any team to compare, or pick one from the legend.