​Cape Verde lost on Friday, but they earned the admiration of nearly every soccer fan around the world. Making their first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance as a nation of about 530,000, Cape Verde pushed defending champions Argentina to the brink, giving a performance that will be remembered for years. They matched Lionel Messi and his squad 1-1 in regulation and held their own in extra time before Argentina finally found a way to win 3-2 and advance. Not only did Cape Verde come heartbreakingly close to one of the biggest World Cup upsets, but they also demonstrated to the world that they belong on the sport’s biggest stage.
“IT’S OVER! IN ONE OF THE MOST REMARKABLE GAMES IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD CUP, ARGENTINA SURVIVE!” Fox’s John Strong called as Argentina withstood an extraordinary Cape Verde effort. After the match, Fox Sports analysts Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimović—icons in their own right—praised Cape Verde for their heart, passion, and achievements, noting the team finished with three draws, including one against Spain, and no losses in regulation time.
“I can stand here and applaud Cape Verde because it was all about Cape Verde,” Ibrahimović said. “A small island with big dreams. They nearly toppled a giant. These players are heroes. They became idols on their island, and they didn’t lose a game in 90 minutes. They almost did it; the whole world probably didn’t believe it was possible.”
Henry added, “First, I’m going to switch to Portuguese for everyone now. Capo Verde, parabéns, obrigado. I don’t care about the result right now; I’m sure the Argentinians feel the same way because they didn’t even celebrate. The story is Cape Verde’s. What I witnessed today shows that when you believe you can, amazing things happen. Yes, they lost this game, but they won our hearts. That’s magical. Obrigado, Capo Verde.”
Ibrahimović echoed the sentiment, noting, “They didn’t win the World Cup, but it’s a beautiful story—and sometimes that story is worth more than the result.”