Cape Verde secured qualification for the knockout stage by finishing second in Group H after drawing all three group matches. The team's success followed a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia in their final group game in Houston.
The archipelago nation, with a population of 525,000, became the smallest country to reach the World Cup knockout rounds. Their achievement came after a 0-0 draw with Spain and a 2-2 draw with Uruguay in earlier group matches.
Cape Verde's goalkeeper Vozinha made a key save in first-half stoppage time during the match against Saudi Arabia. The team's defensive resilience and composure under pressure secured their place in the next round.