When the final whistle blew in Houston, Cabo Verde’s players were not sure how to react. Their would only send them through to the knockout stages if Uruguay were to lose against Spain.
With the other match in the group still ongoing, the Cabo Verdeans huddled around phones passed out among the squad, waiting in anticipation for news that, just two weeks earlier, few would have believed possible.
Then, in an instant, the celebrations began. Phones no longer mattered, but they captured everything as their dreams became a reality and Cabo Verde qualified for the knockout stages of the .
“Honestly, it’s crazy,” commented Deroy Duarte, who was selected as the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match.
“To be honest, it feels like I’m living in a fairytale," said Duarte. “When I was a child, I always dreamed of playing in a World Cup, of being the best on the pitch and making history.”
It may have felt like a dream for the standout player of the match, but for coach Bubista, this result had long seemed within reach.
“We knew in our heads that we could reach this stage,” said Bubista. “After the first couple of matches, we started to feel it was possible and the team was eager to prove it to the whole world. We are proud of what we have achieved so far, and once again, we have shown that though we are a small country, we are one that fights for what we want to achieve. For us, nothing is impossible.”
It is difficult to overstate how impressive this result is. Cabo Verde are making their World Cup debut and are the third smallest country in terms of population to have ever qualified for the global finals. Ranked 67th in the world, they were drawn into a group featuring two past World Cup winners, including Spain, the current European champions.
But despite all that, they finished the group stage unbeaten, with three draws and only two goals conceded.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” said goalkeeper Vozinha, who has kept a clean sheet in two of his three matches so far.
“We were in a group with two world champions, and Saudi Arabia who have done this before many times. We’re all so happy and very proud to represent Cabo Verde and give this to our people.
“Just by being here for the first time, we had already made history. Qualifying for the knockout stages is just the icing on the cake.”
For Cabo Verde, what once felt like a dream is now history in the making. Following the draw with Spain in their opening match, football fans around the world have become captivated by one of the most heartwarming stories of this World Cup. On Friday, Cabo Verde added another unforgettable chapter to their story, and one its leading men can scarcely believe it is happening.
“We still can’t really explain how this feels,” Diney Borges told FIFA. “It’s only just beginning to sink in. We have to enjoy it with our families, with all the people who believed in us, and also the Brazilians who have been with us.”
In the round of 32, the Cabo Verdeans will face Argentina, the reigning world champions, another opportunity to prove that dreams can come true.
“It’s not every day you get to play Messi, it’s basically a childhood dream,” Diney admitted. “We grew up watching Messi play. We all imagined what it would be like to line up against him and now we get the chance. God willing, we can defeat the world champions, Argentina.”
Sources: FIFA Official
