Cabo Verde reach the World Cup 2026 knockout stage and will face Argentina

The Cabo Verde national team became one of the biggest sensations of the 2026 World Cup group stage by reaching the Round of 32.

In their final Group H match, the World Cup debutants drew 0-0 with Saudi Arabia. It was Cabo Verde’s third consecutive draw at the tournament. Earlier, the African side also took points from Spain, and in the end that was enough to finish second in the group.

After the final whistle in the Spain vs Uruguay match, it became clear that Cabo Verde had officially qualified for the knockout stage. Spain finished top of the group, while Uruguay, with two points, dropped to third place and failed to reach the Round of 32 even through the ranking of third-placed teams.

In the Round of 32, Cabo Verde will face Argentina. For a team playing at the World Cup for the first time, reaching the knockout stage is a historic achievement.

Spain, who did not concede a single goal in the group stage, advanced to the next round as group winners and will face the second-placed team from Group J. Their opponent will be either Austria or Algeria.