The ultimate Cinderella run of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will continue into the knockout stage, as Cape Verde made World Cup history by finishing second in Group H, behind only Spain. And after they wrapped up a tense 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia on Friday, the raw emotion of Cape Verde players was on full display as they watched Spain finish off a 1-0 victory over Uruguay.
Having already battled traditional global powerhouses Spain and Uruguay to hard-fought draws in the tournament, Cape Verde finished with three points, pushing them ahead of Uruguay, who’ll leave the World Cup with one loss and two draws. In advancing to the knockout phase, Cape Verde also became the first World Cup debutant to ever make it beyond the group stage.
The players’ live reactions, not surprisingly, made for must-see TV for all soccer fans.
THE MOMENT THE CAPE VERDE PLAYERS REALIZED THEY ARE THROUGH TO THE KNOCKOUT STAGE 🇨🇻
WHAT A MOMENT FOT THE DEBUTANTS! pic.twitter.com/SHWc1hsjgg
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 27, 2026
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Cape Verde players’ live reaction to advancing in the World Cup is going instantly viral
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