Cape Verde qualifies for the 32nd round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup; CPV vs KSA player ratings

Cape Verde reached a historic first World Cup knockout berth on Friday after holding on to a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia in a Group H match at the Houston Stadium.

While Spain defeated Uruguay in the other Group H match, Cape Verde finished second and automatically qualified for the Round of 32.

Interestingly, the 67th-ranked team in the world failed to win a single match in the group stage after consecutive draws against Spain and Uruguay in the first two matches. Saudi Arabia finished bottom of the group with two points.

Cape Verde will now take on defending champions Argentina in the Round of 32 on July 3 at the Miami Gardens.

The 2026 edition will be Cape Verde’s first-ever World Cup appearance and its seventh qualifying attempt.

Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia Player Ratings:

Cape Verde

Vozinha (8.1), Pina (7.1), Lopes (7.5), Borges (7.5), Paulo (7.9), Pina (7.8), Mendes (6.6), Duarte (7.2), Monteiro (6.1), Semedo (6.5), Livramento (5.5)

Subs: Varela (6.4), da Costa (6.6), Duarte (6.6), Rodrigues (6.3), Moreira (no rating)

Saudi Arabia

Al Owais (7.5), Kanno (7.3), Al-Buraikan (6.2), S. Al-Dawsari (6.3), N. Al-Dawsari (7.6), Alkhaibari (6.7), Mandash (6.4), Al-Boushail (6.6), Al Tambakti (6.8), Al Amri (7.4), Abdulhamid (8.1).

Subs: Lajami (6.5), Al-Juwayr (6.6), Al-Shamat (6.2), Al-Hamdan (5.7), Al-Harbi (no rating)

Published on June 27, 2026