Key Points
- Cape Verde has qualified for the World Cup Round of 32 after holding Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw.
- It's a remarkable achievement for the nation of about 500,000 people off the west coast of Africa, which is playing at its first World Cup.
Cape Verdean fans in Australia are celebrating after the tiny island nation made history by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup knockout stages for the first time.
Cape Verde held Saudi Arabia to a scoreless draw on Saturday (AEST), sealing second spot in Group H and a place in the Round of 32.
It's a remarkable achievement for the nation of about 500,000 people off the west coast of Africa, which is playing at its first World Cup.
Joao Costa, who grew up in Cape Verde but lives in Melbourne with his family, said he watched the match at home but was planning to celebrate with the Cape Verdean community.
"We're gonna maybe open a bottle of champagne with family and friends," he said.
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"The next game with Argentina, we're definitely gonna watch it with the Cape Verdean diaspora here in Melbourne."
"This is history."
Costa said he only knew of two people born in Cape Verde who now live in Australia including his brother, although there is a larger community of Cape Verdean descendants.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' 2021 Census, just 40 Cape Verde-born people are living in Australia.
Cape Verde's fairytale tournament
Cape Verde has emerged as one of the fairytale stories of the tournament, stunning the world by holding European champions and title favourites Spain to a scoreless draw in its opening match.
That was largely thanks to the efforts of goalkeeper Josimar José Évora Dias, known as Vozinha, who became one of the tournament's breakout stars at the age of 40.
Vozinha made seven saves against Spain to be awarded player-of-the-match, with his Instagram following soaring from about 50,000 to more than 16 million after the match.
The goalkeeper, who has represented Cape Verde for 14 years, said "the dream has come true" after helping his country earn its first-ever World Cup point.
Holding back tears, he said he wished he could have shared the moment with his mother, who was unable to make the trip to the United States because she could not afford the visa.
In January, the US government added Cape Verde to a list of countries whose citizens must post a returnable bond of up to US$15,000 ($21,750) before they are granted entry.
The story took another emotional turn when his mother, Ana Cândida Évora, arrived in the United States ahead of Cape Verde's second group match after finally securing a visa.
Cape Verde went on to draw 2-2 against Uruguay and hold Saudi Arabia to a scoreless draw, meaning they finished second in their group and qualified for the Round of 32.
They will take on reigning champions Argentina on 4 July.
You can watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ live, free and exclusive on SBS, SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand.
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