Uruguay and Cape Verde they tied 2-2 in a game full of emotions at the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami, Florida, in the United States. The match is valid for the second round of the Group H and World Cup 2026.
Sensation of this World Cup, Cape Verde faced . The team came out ahead
Uruguay equalized with Maxi Araújo and turned it around with Canobbio, in the final minutes of the first half. In the complementary stage, Hélio Varela left everything the same. With the score, the South American team is playing its life against Spain in the next round, and Cape Verde can get a place in the knockout stages if they beat Saudi Arabia.
The game
Uruguay imposed itself in the opening minutes to try to build a lead quickly. The team put pressure on, betting on throws and passing, but nothing clicked. Varela appeared well positioned to catch the Cape Verdean defense by surprise, but sent it wide.
The feeling of the World Cup
At 20 minutes into the first half, the Cape Verde team celebrated another milestone in the history of this World Cup. Kevin Pina took a free kick in the middle, hitting the corner of goalkeeper Muslera, who was unable to reach the ball.
The barrier set up by the Uruguayan failed, and the small country’s players got emotional on the field
Dangerous game for Uruguay
Behind on the scoreboard, Uruguay saw a film repeated: against Saudi Arabia, the team also went behind and had to make up for the loss by organizing itself at half-time.
On the field, he had more difficulty reaching the goal with the Cape Verdean pressing. Cape Verde took advantage of the spaces and had chances to expand with Benchimol, who ended up being cut off by the defense, and with Sidny Cabral, who crossed the ball and Muslera had to retreat a little to make the save with his fingertips.
Tied and turned around
Also as was the case in the first game, Uruguay reached a draw with a hard fought goal. Valverde made a long cross and Betancur rose to compete with the defense for a header. Vozinha makes the save, but Maxi Araújo appears alone to head the ball into the net.
Cape Verde felt the goal and, in the final minutes, Uruguay took advantage of it. In the exchange of passes in the middle, Maxi Araújo supported with no chance for goalkeeper Vozinha.
Uruguayan hesitation and emotion until the end
The game looked controlled, but a mistake in a World Cup can be costly. In the 15th minute, Cape Verde equalized after a succession of mistakes from Uruguay. Mathías Oliveira missed the retreat, and Hélio Varela stole it, taking advantage of Muslera’s mistaken exit to push into the empty goal. The goal changed everything, and the game became a give-and-take.
Cape Verde arrived again in danger in the next move, the ball went very close but went out. At 24, another hit in the small Cape Verdean area after a short corner kick. The ball hit the post, Vozinha saved, released, and Maxi Araújo scored with the rebound. The referee caught offside and the move was worthless.
Uruguay pressed again but needed to make the last passes. De la Cruz hit from long distance and didn’t hit the target, and Darwin Núñez was disarmed inside the area. Valverde had a great chance at the dead ball, but the free kick went over the goal. Canobbio fired from the right side, invaded the penalty area alone and also knocked the ball wide.
Upcoming games
In the next round, Uruguay will face favorite Spain to define the qualifiers for the knockout stage. The teams take the field on Friday (26), at 9pm. Cape Verde will play at 9pm, against Saudi Arabia, at the NRG Stadium.
How is Group H
