With that, here’s the word on Cape Verde’s miracle from Nick Ames in Houston:
For a few days at least, the Blue Sharks can scent Argentinian blood. What a scene they presented at the end after drawing for a third time and improbably, magnificently, qualifying from Group H as runners-up. Their players and head coach, Bubista, huddled round a mobile phone to watch the closing stages of Uruguay’s defeat to Spain. They erupted en masse upon learning the outcome and can look ahead to a last-32 meeting with Lionel Messi and company in Miami. Messi’s meeting with this World Cup’s new cult hero, the goalkeeper Vozinha, could be one for the ages.
Read here, and thanks for following along with us for this historic occasion.
I’ve received two emails suggesting Scotland were eliminated from the Cup by Senegal’s win. Not quite.
The confusion lies in the fact that Scotland fell to ninth in the table. They’re still ninth and are guaranteed to finish ahead of Uruguay.
But two teams ahead of them, Croatia and Algeria, could fall behind them on goal difference if they lose their group finales, and they could still be in third place in their groups. That would put Scotland back up to eighth.
The other two groups:
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In Group K, if DR Congo and Uzbekistan draw – or if Uzbekistan win by less than four goals – the third place team will finish behind Scotland.
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Coming up in less than an hour, it’s Group G, where Egypt and Belgium are the likely winners, and those results would leave Iran in third place with two points.
So … no. Scotland’s not yet out of it. They need a lot of things to break their way, but individually, none of those results is unlikely.
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Justin Kavanagh writes: “Well, the world’s most popular footballer will grace the World Cup again next week. I wonder whether Messi will be able to put a goal by him.”
Hee hee hee hee …
In other news: England have officially qualified for the knockout rounds, no matter how badly Panama beat them.
Shall we look at the third-place scenarios?
FINISHED PLAY
Sweden 4 pts
Ecuador 4
Bosnia 4
Paraguay 4 (they have now qualified)
Senegal 3 (+1 GD)
South Korea 3 (-1 GD)
Scotland 3 (-3 GD)
Uruguay 2 (-1 GD)
STILL TO COME
Group G: If Egypt (4 pts) beat Iran (2) and Belgium (2) beat New Zealand (1), Iran will be third with 2 pts. An Iranian win would complicate things. A draw would put Iran at 3 pts with a level goal difference, so they would slot in ahead of South Korea and Scotland if they end up in third.
Group J: If Austria and Algeria draw, they both advance – there’s some interesting history of note there (see 1982). If Austria beat Algeria by two goals, that’s more good news for Scotland.
Group K: A DR Congo-Uzbekistan draw would eliminate both teams. An Uzbekistan win would be too little too late unless they pile on the goals. DR Congo would almost certainly be third with a win and would advance.
Group L: Croatia-Ghana draw puts Croatia third with four points. A Croatia win puts Ghana third with four points. So the third-place teams will be hoping Croatia lose. They have a -1 goal difference, so a multi-goal loss would help Scotland.
Ordinarily, a 0-0 draw wouldn’t yield such scenes of jubilation, but Cape Verde’s players are all hugs and shouts while their blue-clad fans bounce in the stands.
For Saudi Arabia … many questions. Was the game plan to kick the ball around and wait for Cape Verde to make a catastrophic error?
Round of 32 matchup: Argentina vs. Cape Verde. Wonder who’ll be favored.
Cape Verde qualify for the round of 32
It’s all over for Uruguay, and Cape Verde can celebrate. No need to wait out all the third-place tiebreakers.
Also, the result helps Scotland. Not that it’s likely to be enough.
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Final: Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia
Just a few seconds left in the other game to see if Cape Verde end up in second place.
90 min +5 Cape Verde break! Two on one, but the attack slows when it gets to Rodrigues. They recycle it, and Rodiguez puts it on a platter, but it’s hit wide! The good news for Cape Verde – that’s the end.
90 min +4 Saudi Arabia hit a hopeful ball into the box. Cleared, but Saudi Arabia have a throw, and they’ve shown they can throw it a mile.
90 min +3 Yellow card to Al-Buraikan for a needless foul at midfield. Cape Verde can kill some time setting up a free kick – actually, they’ll kill more by bringing on Columbus Crew defender Steven Moreira for Wagner Pina, who had a standout performance.
90 min +2 CHANCE FOR SAUDI ARABIA. OK, maybe they do. Quick sequence of passes and a shot from just within the box. Vozinha nonchalantly stops it and leaves the ball at his feet.
90 min +2 Saudi Arabia have the ball and still have multiple players in their own half. Do they realize?
90 min +1 Rodrigues is making all sorts of errors. He once again concedes a goal kick to Saudi Arabia.
Only five minutes of stoppage time. Well, they haven’t had any goal celebrations …
90 min Free kick to Cape Verde, and to be honest, I don’t quite see why. May we see a replay please?
89 min Rodrigues with a rash attempt at a cross, yielding possession back to Saudi Arabia.
And they play the goal kick short. Where’s the urgency?
88 min Saudi Arabia get a corner. Or not! VAR intervenes, and it’s a goal kick.
They say 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in soccer. I’d argue 0-0 with a lead in the group standings is worse.
86 min How have Cape Verde not scored! They work it forward again, and there’s a brave block from Al-Amri on Wagner Pina, and the rebound just doesn’t fall where it can be played.
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85 min Rodrigues with a good ball to da Costa, but the Saudi defenders reset.
85 min Da Costa works to beat two Saudi defenders and just about does it, but he’s at an acute angle to shoot and opts not to pass.
84 min A drop from Al-Owais! But Cape Verde aren’t quick enough to pounce on the error by the Saudi keeper.
83 min But maybe these subs are helping Saudi Arabia maintain possession, which they’ve done a good bit in the last five minutes.
82 min Tangle of bodies at midfield but no call – probably correctly so.
The final Saudi Arabia sub is coming on – and it’s another player listed as a defender, Al-Harbi, coming on for Boushal. I believe Saudi Arabia have alleged forwards on the bench who will go unused as they chase the goal that would prolong their stay at this Cup.
80 min Ouch. Al-Hamdan with the foul as Cape Verde try to break the pressure.
The free kick is long and wayward, and Saudi Arabia will set up shop again.
79 min Rodrigues blasts the ball into the wall. No, it wasn’t a free kick. He had three players in front of him and shot anyway.
78 min xG tally now: 1.13 to 0.24 in favor of Cape Verde.
76 min Corner to Saudi Arabia now.
Will Cape Verde rue these missed chances?
74 min HUGE CHANCE for Cape Verde on the counter. It’s a big save by Al-Owais to stop Laros Duarte’s 1-on-1 opportunity in the end. Corner to Cape Verde, headed just over the bar.
Updated
73 min Free kick to Saudi Arabia, and it drops from the air 8 yards from goal but is headed clear.
Then an extremely long throw-in from Saudi Arabia – must have covered 30 yards diagonally, and a near chance.
This half has belonged to the Blue Sharks, but in a game with these stakes, they’re still one errant pass or defensive slip-up away from going out of the Cup.
Subs for Cape Verde: Monteiro and Mendes are out. Laros Duarte and Garry Rodrigues in. Those changes give me less confidence in the Cape Verde attack.
68 min The last kick before the hydration break is an errant cross from Kevin Pina.
66 min But Saudi Arabia get a chance right away, sending up a high shot that Vozinha honestly doesn’t handle well.
Cape Verde counterattack, and the remaining Al-Dawsari (Nasser) gets a yellow card as he breaks up the run.
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65 min As you were. Cape Verde pass around, just inside Saudi Arabia’s half, and Saudi Arabia see no need to press.
Cape Verde play long and out of play.
Saudi Arabia subs: The captain, Salem Al-Dawsari, is out. So is Sultan Mandash. Now entering: Abdullah Al-Hamdan and Mohammed Abu Al-Shamat. Two midfielders out, replaced by a midfielder and a … defender?
64 min When the ball gets back to Vozinha, he seems to be the only Cape Verdean or neutral observer who isn’t nervous. Another pass out of trouble, but only by an instant.
Updated
63 min Varela takes a tumble in the box after his first touch of the game, but there’s nothing in it.
62 min Subs for Cape Verde, and it’s a pity to see Willy Semedo go out. He has been, by some margin, the best player on the pitch. Livramento also goes out. Nuno da Costa and Hélio Varela, scorer of the tying goal vs. Uruguay, are in.
59 min Bad giveaway one way. Bad giveaway the other way. It’s compelling because of the stakes, and Cape Verde look industrious at times, but this is not a game to show the extraterrestrials when they decide what to do with their new colony on Earth.
58 min Vozinha plays long. Saudi Arabia win it in the air but give it back again. Now they’ll try to gain some control of the game. They need a goal.
56 min Willy Semedo earns a corner kick. The ball is partially cleared, and Cape Verde pass around again.
Deroy Duarte figures he’ll give it a go and loops a shot from 25 yards but misses.
55 min Saudi Arabia are finding it very difficult to string more than two passes together. Cape Verde are passing fluidly and only giving it up in places where Saudi Arabia can’t do much with it.
Updated
53 min Another semi-demi-almost-kinda-sorta chance for Cape Verde, again working on the right and crossing back, but the pass needs to be more precise.
52 min Now Saudi Arabia have a patient possession. Cape Verde get it back and pass to Vozinha, who is very nearly caught with the ball at his feet.
50 min Cape Verde pass and pass and pass and it’s a long-range SHOT from Kevin Pina, just over Al-Owais’ fingers but also just over the bar.
49 min SHOT from Cape Verde, probably should’ve been a little more powerful or precisely placed from Monteiro. Still, it’s not unlike the shot that put Spain in front of Uruguay.
48 min Worth noting – another country that would be grateful if these results hold is Scotland. They need a great deal of help to advance, but this would be a first step.
47 min Saudi Arabia win an early corner.
At the break, they made their second sub – Musab Al-Juwayr, who started the first two games, replaces Al-Khaibari. Maybe a bit more attack?
46 min: We resume.
Silly halftime question: Given the success of smaller countries in the World Cup, should the USA split into several teams?
Just saw a replay of the goal for Spain. Not a stellar moment of goalkeeping.
Halftime: Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia
The referee blows the whistle as Saudi Arabia try to race up the field. They’re a bit annoyed.
Only one shot on target in the first half, and it was from Saudi Arabia, but Cape Verde will be pleased with how they played, especially in the last 15 minutes.
45 min +5 Cape Verde switch off for a moment, and Salem has some space for a bit before they recover.
Cape Verde go the other way, and a Mendes cross is just off target far enough that his teammate can’t control.
45 min +4 Free kick to Saudi Arabia, lofted high and clear. Cape Verde try an ambitious longball, but it sails across the field to Al-Owais.
45 min +3 I’d very much like to see the last 15 seconds on the referee cam, because it looked like a foul each way.
45 min +2 SAVE Vozinha on a header from Kanno.
Six minutes of stoppage time to come.
45 min A bit of petulance seeping in now as some bodies collide.
44 min The world broadcast feed gives us a 300th look at Cape Verde fans. Meanwhile, a soccer game is in progress.
43 min We have a goal. In the other game. Not this one. Spain go up 1-0. In the live standings, Cape Verde are now second in the group. Did anyone bet on that before the Cup started?
42 min Cape Verde work down the left again, and the ball bounds out to Willy Semedo at the top of the box. He lashes a shot well wide.
40 min Nasser Al-Dawsari steps on Wagner Pina’s ankle – not malicious, but late. Free kick Cape Verde, and it’s lofted tot the center of the box.
Cape Verde keep possession, and Willy Semedo plays a nifty backheel to a teammate. Then they have to pass back, and back, and back, and hi, Vozinha!
Updated
39 min Much better corner kick this time. Saudi Arabia knock it out for another corner – oops, wait, VAR intervenes as they may now do. Goal kick, and replay shows the call was correct.
38 min Cape Verde work on the left this time and force a deflection to earn a corner kick. The Blue Sharks have been biting over the last five minutes.
37 min Players haven’t gotten used to taking care to make sure their trailing arm doesn’t contact an opponent’s face. Free kick to Cape Verde. They keep possession and get fouled again. Another free kick.
35 min Cape Verde have dialed up the attacking panache , and it’s a good cross from Wagner Pina. There’s contact in the box, and the recently introduced Lajami is down briefly.
34 min Cape Verde have an encouraging foray forward. Monteiro has a sliver of space to shoot, but it’s blocked.
32 min This is a long spell of treatment for a leg injury. Livramento comes over to pay his respects to his fallen foe as it’s clear Al-Tambakti can’t continue.
Ali Lajami will replace his Al-Hilal teammate.
Updated
Saudi Arabia lead in xG, 0.06 to 0.02. Isn’t xG weird?
29 min Half-chance for Cape Verde as Livramento turns on his defender and put in a cross that wasn’t far off the mark. Cape Verde maintain possession and put it back in.
Saudi Arabia recover, but now center back Al-Tambakti is down getting treatment.
28 min Play has resumed, and Willy Semedo earns a free kick just past midfield. Lively player getting his first start for Cape Verde.
Updated
24 min Another buildup on the left from Cape Verde. Another pass straight to a defender.
Let’s hope things improve after everyone hydrates, now …
23 min The corner kick is played straight to a Saudi Arabian defender. This game is officially frustrating.
22 min SHOT ON GOAL from Willy Semedo, and Saudi Arabian keeper Al-Owais makes a mess of it, conceding a corner.
From browsing Tom Lutz’s coverage during a brief break, it appears Spain have the lion’s share of possession against Uruguay, but Uruguay have had some chances. A Uruguay win would be unwelcome news for these teams.
20 min Cape Verde look for Mendes on the right. Played out for a Cape Verde corner, but they get pushed back, and they again play the ball back to Vozinha.
19 min Free kick Saudi Arabia, but again, not a lot of attacking intent. They know they need a win, right?
18 min NOW it’s a shot – Saudi Arabia cross sails over the penalty area, but it’s again Salem on the left, and he hits a venomous strike, but Wagner Pina is back to block.
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17 min So far, we’d have to say this game is … not great. Still plenty of time, obviously. We’re still in the first quarter.
16 min Salem Al-Dawsari has space on the left, but Cape Verde track back to clear – only to dump the ball out of play. Oops.
14 min Cape Verde win a throw-in very deep in Saudi Arabia’s half. Remember 1994, when some Cup games were played on narrow fields in stadiums not built with soccer in mind? Imagine how these long throw-ins would’ve played out on those fields.
Back in the present day, Cape Verde may have had a shout for a foul, but nothing is called, and Saudi Arabia play forward.
13 min Good pass to Letexier, marred only by the fact that he is the referee. He drops the ball to Saudi Arabia … wait … why?
12 min It’s a scrum – no, wait, rugby people insist that a haphazard crowd around a loose ball is a ruck. Cape Verde clear from their own box.
10 min Is it on here for Cape Verde? No, because Saudi Arabia have about 14 players back. A clever flick-on in the buildup, but there’s just no room to carry it through.
9 min The kick is taken backwards. Reserved start in this one.
8 min Saudi Arabia with the neatest triangles this side of Angine de Poitrine, but they never work the ball too far forward.
They earn a free kick, though, and Wagner Pina picks up yellow for swinging his arm back recklessly as he tries to hold off Salem Al-Dawsari.
7 min The Cape Verde patience wears thin, and they play into space for Mendes, but he can’t win the footrace.
6 min Cape Verde have had plenty of possession, but it’s all within 35 yards of their own goal. They finally work it ahead toward Mendes, who earns a throw-in. They’re almost across midfield … no, wait, they’ve passed backwards.
Updated
5 min Cape Verde have played the ball on the ground back to their keeper several times now, and at least once, the situation from a split second away from becoming dodgy.
4 min Kind of an overexuberant foul there from Abdulhamid, the only player on the Saudi Arabian side based somewhere other than Saudi Arabia. He flies with impressive hang time into a challenge and slams into João Paulo at the shoulders and above.
Yellow card.
2 min Saudi Arabia sportingly stopped the ball at midfield, making it easier for the referee to blow the whistle and stop play. Mendes is back up.
Cape Verde show their first sign of attacking intent. Saudi Arabia counter, and social media star Vozinha comes out to cover.
1 min Choppy start, but now Saudi Arabia will control.
Play stops, though, because Ryan Mendes is down after a knee-to-knee collision.
Francois Letexier is the ref. Marco Di Bello is the lead VAR; US ref Joe Dickerson also is in front of the screens.
We’re off …
Scenario reminders
If Cape Verde win, they will advance – likely as the second-place team, but if Uruguay also win but by fewer goals than Cape Verde, the Blue Sharks would win the group.
If Saudi Arabia win, they will almost certainly advance – as the second-place team if Uruguay fail to beat Spain, otherwise as a highly probable third-place qualifier. They could win the group if they win by eight more goals than Spain’s margin. So if Spain win 1-0, I believe a 9-0 win for Saudi Arabia would do the trick.
If they draw, Cape Verde will advance as the second place team if Uruguay lose or score two fewer goals than Cape Verde. If Uruguay lose by one fewer goal than Cape Verde, we’ll go to conduct points, which I definitely don’t have time to calculate right now. And even if none of that comes to pass, Cape Verde would have a half-decent shot as a third-place team with a level goal difference.
Saudi Arabia will be out if they don’t win.
Not enough preview info for you?
Check the team guides and look up any player in the tournament, including their player ratings so far, in our player guide.
There’s apparently another game taking place at the same time, so please follow along with Tom Lutz.
The bracket in progress …
The upside of having a 48-team tournament is seeing teams like Cape Verde show up and surprise.
The downside is having some seriously uneven competitive balance.
Not that US people should be complaining. With all due respect to Bosnia and potential round of 16 opponents Egypt, Iran and Third-Place Side TBD, the co-host’s path is a bit easier than, say, Germany and France, who’ll face off July 4 in Philadelphia (Liberty Bell special!) unless they falter against a third-place team. The winner of that murderous bracket would likely face the Netherlands after they cruise past Morocco and either South Africa or Canada.
England’s reward for winning the group and their first-round match would be a date with Mexico … in Mexico City.
If there is no draw in this game and if Spain beat Uruguay (or if various tiebreakers fall the right way), the winner here will take second place in the group and face … Argentina. Congratulations? They might prefer taking third and potentially facing Egypt or Iran, then the USA.
Your snacks for this game are ...
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Cape Verde: Chicken and chorizo croquettes, Strela beer or maybe Super Bock.
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Saudi Arabia: Shawarma wraps, mango juice, lemon soda and Arabic coffee.
Note to self: It’s time to visit my cousins in Boston and swing by a Cape Verdean restaurant.
I have simpler advice, though, for people in the UK looking for traditional American snacks. Just go to Five Guys.
Lineups
Cape Verde: Vozinha; Paulo, Diney, Pico, W. Pina; K. Pina; W. Semedo, Monteiro, D. Duarte, Mendes; Livramento
Saudi Arabia: Al-Owais; Boushal, Al-Amri, Al-Tambakti, Abdulhamid; S. Al-Dawsari, N. Al-Dawsari, Al-Khaibari, Mandash; Kanno, Al-Buraikan
Tons of changes for Cape Verde:
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Paulo and Wagner Pina get their first starts, replacing the suspended Sidny Lopes Cabral and fellow fullback Steven Moreira.
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Willy Semedo is the third player to start at left mid after Jovane Cabral in Game 1 and Garry Rodrigues in Game 2.
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Livramento returns as the starting striker after Benchimol played vs. Uruguay.
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Kevin Pina and Jamiro Monteiro get their third starts in central midfield, but Deroy Duarte starts ahead of Game 1 starter Laros Duarte and Game 2 starter Telmo Arcanjo.
For Saudi Arabia, the players rotating into the lineup are Nawaf Boushal, Sultan Mandash and Mohamed Kanno. Mandash has not played yet in this tournament; Kanno started the opener and was a sub in the second game. Ali Lajami is out, as are Moteb Al-Harbi and Musab Al-Juwayr.
Players to watch
CAPE VERDE
Ryan Mendes is set to become the first Cape Verde player with 100 caps. He’s also the only player with more 20 goals in their national team history.
Second on the all-time appearances list is the new Instagram sensation Vozinha, who is set to pick up his 93rd cap.
We still haven’t seen Villarreal defender Logan Costa, who suffered an ACL injury in preseasons last summer. He’s on the roster, but that may be a bit of optimism. But another accomplished defender, Wagner Pina (Trabzonspor), is in the lineup tonight.
Kevin Pina (Krasnodar) and Hélio Varela (Maccabi Tel Aviv) were the goal-scorers vs. Uruguay, the latter netting the equalizer as a substitute after staying on the bench in the 0-0 draw with Spain. Varela will be on the bench tonight.
Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew) was the 2024 defender of the year in Major League Soccer, but he has moved to the bench tonight.
And we have to mention the Dublin-born Shamrock Rovers defender Pico Lopes.
SAUDI ARABIA
The only player on the roster who isn’t based in the lucrative Saudi Pro League is right back Saud Abdulhamid (Lens).
No forwards or midfielders have scored for Saudi Arabia through two games. Defender Abdulelah Al-Amri had the goal against Uruguay.
Left midfielder and captain Salem Al-Dawsari has 113 caps and 27 goals in his international career.
Goalkeeper Mohammad Al-Owais was in goal for the 2022 win over Argentina and earned a rating of 9 from The Guardian’s staff for the opening game here, a 1-1 draw vs. Uruguay.
Preamble
A couple of groups have a game like this -- one team (Cape Verde in this case, Belgium later) will advance with a win and will be very good shape with a draw, while the other team (Saudi Arabia now, New Zealand later) will either win and advance or fail to win and fly home.
Cape Verde have already posted one of the greatest underdog performances in World Cup history, managing draws against traditional powerhouses Spain and Uruguay, the former on a stupendous shot-stopping stint by the 40-year-old goalkeeper they call Vozinha. His Instagram following has grown from about 50,000 to a current total of 16.7 million, and increase of more than 33,000%.
The island nation, which lies 600km west of Senegal, had never made it to the final tournament until this year. They’ve done so in an ideal situation, playing in front of the substantial diaspora in the United States.
I have to mention a quick personal note on Saudi Arabia. In 1994, I repeatedly called the phone number for World Cup tickets. When I got through, I basically asked which game I could get. “How about Belgium vs. Saudi Arabia?” they said. “Great,” I said. “Let’s do it.” So my then-girlfriend and I traveled up to Washington, where I would end up living four years later, to see two teams of complete strangers as far as I knew.
And I just happened to see the best goal of the tournament, with Said Al-Owairan doing his impression of Maradona vs. England. (The *good* goal, not the Hand of God.)
But that’s the last time Saudi Arabia have reached the knockout rounds, despite stunning Argentina 2-1 in the two teams’ 2022 opener.
Lest we forget – Saudi Arabia will host this event in 2034.
This is the first matchup between two countries separated by the width of Africa and a few hundred miles of water.
Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s your initial briefing on this matchup, courtesy of Graham Ruthven’s daily watch guide:
What to watch for
Cape Verde have been one of the best underdog stories of the World Cup so far and have given themselves a strong chance of making it out of Group H. But can the Blue Sharks impose their own game on an opponent after playing with their backs to the wall against Uruguay and Spain?
Saudi Arabia started their tournament with an admirable draw against Uruguay, but haven’t won a World Cup game since 2022 when they memorably got the better of Lionel Messi and Argentina. Georgios Donis must get more out of his attacking players to make the knockout rounds.
Player to watch: Vozinha, Cape Verde – The 40-year-old goalkeeper has been one of the unexpected stars of the World Cup and will have at least one more opportunity to demonstrate his shot-stopping ability.
