Cape Verdeans celebrate heroic World Cup defeat against Argentina

In Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, celebrations erupted early Saturday morning despite the national team's heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup's round of 32. Drums beat, car horns blared, and fans embraced, viewing their team's performance not as a loss, but as a testament to their incredible journey.

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We lost the match, but we feel like we achieved a victory because we held our own against the world champions. Cape Verde was magnificent.

The Blue Sharks, as Cape Verde's national team is known, had already defied expectations by progressing to the knockout stages in their debut World Cup appearance. Their group stage performance included draws against Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia. The narrow loss to the reigning world champions, Argentina, after a fiercely contested match, was seen by many as a moral victory.

"We lost the match, but we feel like we achieved a victory because we held our own against the world champions," fan Adilson Soaresz told AFP. "Cape Verde was magnificent." The festivities in Praia continued until nearly 3:00 am, with vuvuzelas and live music filling the streets, as Cape Verdeans and visitors alike gathered to watch the dramatic clash.

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Cape Verde leaves the World Cup with its head held high. We were so close to beating Argentina. We were allowed to dream.

Supporter Pedro Ramos, watching from a fan zone, told AFP that Cape Verde left the World Cup "with its head held high." He added, "We were so close to beating Argentina. We were allowed to dream," expressing joy that the team had made the Argentines "sweat." The match, which went into extra time after Deroy Duarte's equalizer, was described by diplomat Armando Lopes as feeling "like watching a World Cup final," highlighting the unexpected intensity and significance of Cape Verde's performance against a football giant.

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It felt like watching a World Cup final.