Cape Verde's national football team drew with Uruguay 2-2 in their second group stage match of the 2026 World Cup, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) reported.
The match at the Miami stadium in the United States saw Cape Verde's Kevin Pina open the scoring with a free-kick goal in the 21st minute. In the 44th minute, Uruguayan midfielder Maximiliano Araujo equalized, and in the 6th minute of first-half stoppage time, the South American team took the lead with a goal from Agustín Canobbio.
In the second half, in the 61st minute, Cape Verde's Helio Varela equalized once again. After the game, he said it was his first-ever goal playing for the national team.
"I dreamed about this, but I couldn't even imagine it would happen like this. Scoring my first goal for the national team in a World Cup match is incredible. I'm speechless," Varela said.
Cape Verde and Uruguay are in Group H alongside Spain and Saudi Arabia. As of June 22, Cape Verde ranks 63rd in the FIFA rankings, while Uruguay is 19th.
Earlier in June, Cape Verde drew 0-0 with Spain in their first group stage match of the 2026 World Cup.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is taking place from June 11 to July 19 across 16 cities in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, featuring 48 teams for the first time.