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Cape Verde's World Cup fairytale ends against Argentina: 'Sad, but played bravely'

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Cape Verde's fairytale run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers ended with a narrow 3-2 extra-time loss to Argentina.
  • Despite the defeat, the team is celebrated for its bravery, unity, and for showcasing the island nation's identity on the world stage.
  • Coach Bubista expressed pride in the team's performance, noting they were the only ones to score twice against Argentina and push the game into extra time.

The Cinderella story of Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers has concluded, with the team suffering a heartbreaking 3-2 extra-time defeat against Argentina. The African island nation, with a population of just 520,000, captured global attention throughout the tournament.

More than just playing a game, this tournament was a stage to show our identity to the world.

— Bubista, Cape Verde CoachReflecting on the significance of the World Cup for his team and nation.

Cape Verde, which gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and joined FIFA in 1986, made its first-ever World Cup appearance this year. Their journey was marked by remarkable resilience, including a 0-0 draw against pre-tournament favorites Spain, a 2-2 tie with two-time champions Uruguay, and another 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia, securing second place in Group H to advance to the Round of 32.

The locker room atmosphere is filled with sadness. Of course, we are sad, but this is part of growth. This experience helps us grow, and it shows the team has soul.

— Bubista, Cape Verde CoachDescribing the team's emotions after the loss to Argentina.

In their match against Argentina, Cape Verde demonstrated incredible fighting spirit. After Argentina's Lionel Messi opened the scoring, Deroy Duarte equalized for Cape Verde in the second half. The teams traded goals again in extra time, with an own goal by Cape Verde's Diney Borges ultimately deciding the match in Argentina's favor.

I don't think any other team could have scored two goals against Argentina and taken the game to extra time. This shows our fighting spirit and skill.

— Bubista, Cape Verde CoachHighlighting the team's impressive performance against a strong opponent.

Despite the sorrow in the locker room, Cape Verde coach Bubista praised his team's performance. "We are sad, but this is part of growth. This experience helps us grow, and it shows the team has soul," he said. He highlighted that no other team had managed to score twice against Argentina and force the game into extra time, emphasizing the players' courage and unwavering identity. The team's performance earned accolades from opponents and pundits alike, with Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni acknowledging their strength and former players like James McFadden and Gary Neville praising their "best performance by an underdog."

The players played bravely, and we never lost our identity.

— Bubista, Cape Verde CoachPraising the players' effort and commitment during the match.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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