Cape Verde's World Cup stunt: "It's like I'm in another world..."
Madness in Cape Verde: World Cup debutants who went straight into the knock-out stage after finishing second in Group H. Jamiro Monteiro and Dailon Livramento were overjoyed.
Madness in Cape Verde: the small island surprised the football world when, as a World Cup debutant, it went straight into the knock-out stage. The team finished Group H with three draws and sat second in the group — a giant-killing run that delighted their supporters.
Jamiro Monteiro (PEC Zwolle) could not hide his emotions after the victory. In an interview with NOS he said, "I don't even know... We got in and I'm so proud of everything we've done. I don't have words for it yet. Of course there's belief and you have to do everything to get points and move forward. We started before with friendlies — and look at the result! It's like I'm in another world."
Dailon Livramento (Casa Pia) feels the same way. "We wanted to write history and we did that. The way we entered the tournament was full of faith and confidence. You grow in a tournament; we need time for that, but the foundation is already strong," said Livramento.
<figure style="margin:2rem 0;overflow:hidden;border:1px solid #e2e2e2;background:#f9f9f9"><img src="https://webp.vi.cdn.pxr.nl/news/2026/06/27/b559cc2eb5920ec2c553f18ba2c8a03f0a5379ed.jpg?width=1200" alt="Image" style="width:100%;height:auto;object-fit:contain" loading="lazy" /></figure>A goalless draw against Saudi Arabia saw them finish in the group — a result that cemented their promotion. Bondscoach Bubista expressed his pride: "I am proud of what they have achieved. That we finished the group stage without defeat, we should be completely happy. It is due to the organization and spirit of the team. Our fans deserve it. The team did everything to win and I am satisfied."
In the round of 16, the current world champion Argentina is scheduled to face Cape Verde. Livramento did not slow down in preparation and hope: "I think Messi watched our match. This is a new challenge and opportunity for us to show what we can do."
Cape Verde's successful trip also contained a unique local detail — there were six players from Rotterdam in their selection — a testament to the diaspora's widespread influence on the national team. Now, the whole world is watching as they prepare to take on the toughest match of the tournament.
