Cape Verde have departed the 2026 FIFA World Cup without a victory, yet they leave the United States as perhaps the tournament's most memorable side — a nation of fewer than 600,000 people that nearly brought Argentina to their knees.

The Blue Sharks entered the competition ranked 67th in the world and drew all three of their group-stage matches, including a goalless stalemate against European champions Spain. That foundation set the stage for a last-16 encounter with the reigning world champions that nobody who watched it will easily forget.

So close against Argentina

Against Argentina in Miami, Cape Verde fell behind to a Lionel Messi goal but battled back to level at 1-1 and force extra time. When they conceded again, Sidny Lopes Cabral responded with a stunning long-range strike to make it 2-2. In the end, a cruel deflection off Diney Borges from Cristian Romero's header settled the tie in Argentina's favour, 3-2, after extra time.

Despite the heartbreak, the Cape Verde players were applauded off the pitch in recognition of a performance that left pundits searching for superlatives.