Cape Verde, the tiny Atlantic island archipelago making its first ever FIFA World Cup appearance, is gearing up for one of the biggest underdog stories in modern football history. Fresh off becoming the smallest nation ever to advance to the tournament’s knockout round, the country’s president José Maria Neves has boldly predicted that his side, nicknamed the Blue Sharks, will pull off a seismic upset against defending champions Argentina in their upcoming round of 32 clash.
In an exclusive interview with the BBC conducted from Cape Verde’s capital Praia, Neves laid out his optimistic vision for Friday’s match, scheduled for 22:00 GMT in Miami. “I think Cape Verde can beat Argentina 1-0,” he stated. “We are playing to win… when expectations are low regarding a team, and if that team has the urge to win, anything is possible. A small nation like Cape Verde should always strive to do exactly that — to permanently surprise the world.”
Neves’ confidence stems from Cape Verde’s already historic run through the group stage, a stretch of results that has cemented the Blue Sharks’ reputation as giant-killers before they even take the pitch against Lionel Messi’s side. The team opened their World Cup campaign with a stunning goalless draw against European powerhouse Spain, where 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Vozinha delivered a player-of-the-match performance to shut down one of the world’s most dangerous attacks. They followed that up with an exciting 2-2 draw against two-time World Cup winners Uruguay, then secured their knockout spot with another goalless draw against Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Finishing as Group H runners-up behind Spain, who defeated Uruguay in the final group match, Cape Verde wrote a new chapter of World Cup history as the smallest nation ever to reach this stage of the tournament.
The gap between the two sides on paper could not be wider. FIFA’s current world rankings place Argentina at the top of the global standings, while Cape Verde sits 63 spots below, ranked just 13th among African national teams. That gap means nothing to Neves, who says the Blue Sharks bring far more heart and determination to the pitch than their ranking suggests. “Our team has 100% faith, 100% hope, and they will leave every last drop of effort on the pitch. So, we have a 100% chance to win against Argentina,” he said.
The president’s bullish outlook aligns with the mindset of the entire Cape Verde camp, echoing comments made by head coach Pedro Leitão Brito, widely known as Bubista, over the weekend. Standing before reporters draped in his country’s flag, Bubista declared “to us, nothing is impossible” after the team secured their knockout spot. The coach added that the team’s core mission extends far beyond results: “From the very beginning, we’ve said that one of our main goals was to show our country to the rest of the world. To be able to play Argentina and Messi at this stage of the World Cup is a win for our country, no matter what happens in the match itself.”
For the players, the run already feels surreal. Midfielder Deroy Duarte called the experience “like being in a dream,” acknowledging that facing Argentina will be an enormous challenge but adding that the side remains fully focused on causing an upset: “It will be tough, but let’s believe. Anything is possible.”
Even if the underdog run ends on Friday, Neves says there is no reason for disappointment, framing the entire tournament as a success for the small island nation. “There is no such thing as failure for us here,” he explained. “Regardless of the outcome, we will leave the World Cup with our heads held high, knowing we accomplished every mission we set out to achieve. We came to this tournament to write our own destiny, and that destiny starts with facing the best champions in the game.”
Cape Verde fans across the globe have already celebrated the team’s historic run, with many describing the Blue Sharks’ progression to the knockout stage as nothing short of a miracle. As kickoff approaches, the entire football world will be watching to see if the smallest underdog in the tournament can pull off the biggest upset in World Cup knockout history.