Cape Verde full-back Sidny Lopes Cabral has been awarded the Goal of the Tournament prize at the FIFA World Cup 2026, following his remarkable strike against Argentina in the round of 32, according to beIN Sports.

The goal arrived during a memorable tie in which Cape Verde — making their World Cup debut — came agonisingly close to eliminating the 2022 champions. The Blue Sharks twice fought back from a deficit, levelling once in normal time and again in extra time, before an unfortunate own goal from Diney Borges sealed a 3-2 defeat.

Cabral's moment of magic

The goal that earned Cabral the award was Cape Verde's second equaliser. Receiving the ball near the left corner of the Argentina penalty area, Cabral drifted past Alexis Mac Allister before curling a right-footed effort beyond Emiliano Martinez and into the far corner.

Cabral had only recently made a high-profile club move, joining Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor from Benfica in a €10 million deal ahead of the tournament.

A historic African performance

Cape Verde completed their group stage unbeaten, drawing all three of their Group H fixtures — against Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia — to qualify in second place behind eventual champions Luis de la Fuente's side.

In their defeat to Argentina, Cape Verde became the first African nation to score more than one goal against the defending World Cup champions in a single match. They also joined an exclusive club as only the second African side to net twice against Argentina at a World Cup, after Nigeria achieved the same feat in a 3-2 loss in 2014.

Despite the heartbreak of elimination, Cape Verde's tournament run captured the imagination of African football fans across the continent — and Cabral's stunning goal will remain one of the defining images of the 2026 edition.