Cape Verde has been the story of the World Cup so far after securing two unlikely draws to open its first-ever appearance in the tournament. First, the small African island nation fended off Spain for a 0-0 draw, and on Sunday, Cape Verde backed up its first performance by securing a 2-2 scoreline against Uruguay.
After the nation earned an unlikely point during its scoreless draw against the Spaniards, all that was left to do was score a goal, and the tournament could be deemed a massive success. That goal didn’t take long against Uruguay, as Kevin Pina scored in the 21st minute to send Cape Verde up 1-0 on the South American nation.
For one BBC interviewer, who found himself in the middle of a live dispatch on the island talking with a Cape Verdean when that first-ever World Cup goal was scored, it was a moment he’ll never forget.
ABSOLUTE SCENES IN CAPE VERDE 😂
The BBC was mid-interview in Cape Verde when they scored their first-ever World Cup goal 🇨🇻pic.twitter.com/ZDgS07ypZK
— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) June 22, 2026
What started as a simple question about how Cape Verde had looked so far against Uruguay turned into pure pandemonium.
“THAT’S A GOAL! THAT’S A GOAL! CAPE VERDE HAS MADE HISTORY TONIGHT, SCORING A LIVE GOAL HERE,” the BBC reporter belted as the Cape Verdeans behind him went crazy in celebration.
“WE PASS INTO THE NEXT PHASE! WE ARE GOING INTO THE NEXT PHASE,” a fan screamed, taking over the mic. “WE ARE PROVING EVERYBODY WRONG. CABO VERDE IS GOING A LONG WAY!”
It’s moments like these that make the World Cup so special. Nobody expected the tiny island country with a population of just over 500,000 to make such a splash. And while the team still has some work to do to advance into the knockout stage, the possibility is very much within reach. The Athletic’s model gives Cape Verde a 66% chance of moving on to the Round of 32, which would perhaps be the most improbable result of the entire World Cup.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.