Cape Verde Scores First World Cup Goal in Draw with Uruguay; Spain, Egypt Lead Groups

Cape Verde's national football team achieved a historic milestone by scoring their first-ever goal in a World Cup match, securing a 2-2 draw against Uruguay in their second 2026 North American World Cup qualifying game. The island nation, ranked 67th by FIFA, held their own against the 16th-ranked Uruguayans.

Kevin Pina opened the scoring for Cape Verde in the 21st minute. Although Uruguay took the lead, substitute Jamiro Monteiro equalized in the 71st minute, ensuring Cape Verde remained undefeated in the group stage with two draws. The team now sits third in Group H with two points, with their advancement to the next round dependent on their final group match against Saudi Arabia.

In other qualifying matches, Spain surged to the top of Group H with a dominant 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia. Young talent Lamine Yamal scored on his World Cup debut, and Mikel Oyarzabal added two goals, showcasing Spain's attacking prowess. Spain now leads the group with four points from one win and one draw.

Meanwhile, Egypt secured a significant 3-1 win against New Zealand, marking their first World Cup victory in 92 years and their first multi-goal performance since the 1934 tournament. This win propelled Egypt to the top of Group G with four points. Belgium and Iran played to a goalless draw in the same group, with Belgium facing adversity due to an illness affecting key player Jérémy Doku and a red card shown to Nathan Ngoy.

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They haven't won a single game, but they haven't lost a single game.