Cape Verde is both sad and proud after being eliminated from the 2026 World Cup by Argentina

JAKARTA - There is a mix of pride and disappointment when the unforgettable journey of Cape Verde in the 2026 World Cup ended in a painful way by Argentina in the last 32 on Saturday, July 4, 2026 WIB.

The Tango team needed an extra round to finally win 3-2 after they were on the verge of the biggest defeat in World Cup history.

Cape Verde, the smallest country to qualify for the knockout stages in the history of the tournament, twice equalised before finally surrendering to Argentina's winning goal in the 111th minute.

"I don't think any other team can score two goals against Argentina. This shows the character of our team and how skilled they are."

"We did our best and we did it bravely. I'm very proud of what my players did."

"Being able to equalize twice shows how tough our team is. I'm very proud of what we've done throughout the tournament."

"I can only thank the team for their efforts and show great enthusiasm," said the coach of Cape Verde, Bubista.

Their performance also received praise from Argentina, both through captain Lionel Messi and coach Lionel Scaloni.

"I have to give credit to our opponent. To be honest, when people say there are no easy opponents, today (Tanjung Verde) proved that they are a great team," said Lionel Scaloni.

The defeat ended a remarkable tournament for Cape Verde. Goalkeeper Vozinha became a sensation overnight after the 40-year-old helped to a surprise 0-0 draw against Spain in the opening group game.

"Our team fought. Our team did everything we could to win the game. We couldn't do it and we're sad with the result."

"However, we have every reason to be satisfied and proud of the game we played and all we have achieved during the 2026 World Cup."

"We have made the name of Cape Verde famous as a national team in most of the world. Today, we are fighting on an equal footing against Argentina," said Vozinha.

The African team scored the first goal in World Cup history in a 2-2 draw against Uruguay before almost creating a major surprise against Argentina.

Cape Verde, the smallest country in terms of area to qualify for the World Cup, with a population of around 1 percent of Argentina's, will get 11 million US dollars from FIFA for having reached this stage in the tournament.

"This is the first time we've been here and we've played really well. We may be a small country but we can play against the best teams."

"We want to get better and we want to improve so we have more opportunities to face big teams with better chances of winning."

"The players should be proud of their performances throughout the tournament and representing our country," said Bubista.