Cape Verde have etched their names into football history, becoming the smallest nation ever to advance to the knockout stage of a FIFA World Cup. The Blue Sharks, representing a chain of ten islands in the Atlantic Ocean with a population of just 525,000, will now face defending champions Argentina in the last 32 in Miami on Friday.
Qualification from Group H was confirmed in dramatic circumstances. Following their goalless draw with Saudi Arabia, the Cape Verde players gathered on the pitch around a mobile phone to watch the closing moments of Spain's victory over Uruguay — a result that sealed their place as group runners-up. Tears flowed on the pitch and in the stands.
