Cape Verde has been the great revelation of the tournament, qualifying for the round of 16 in their first World Cup appearance, despite being an African island nation of just over 500,000 inhabitants.
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The team led by (Pedro Leitão Brito) Bubista came to the World Cup with the sole objective of enjoying the experience and ended up qualifying undefeated thanks to three draws.
After a goalless draw with Spain thanks to the outstanding performance of their goalkeeper, Vozinha, and another 2-2 draw against Uruguay with goals from Lenini and Varela, the team secured their passage with another goalless draw against Saudi Arabia. Cape Verde finished second in their group and will face Argentina in the next phase of the tournament.
Bom dia Cabo Verde
—– #FIFAWorldCup | #FIFAWorldCup2026 | #CaboVerde | #TubarõesAzuis | #WeAreCaboVerde pic.twitter.com/FdpiElV5Ew
— Federação Cabo-verdiana de Futebol (@fcfcomunica) June 27, 2026
But it hasn’t been the only surprise. The United States, South Africa, Norway, Mexico, Iran, Ecuador, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Congo are also part of the rebellion of the unexpected.
Iran competes against everyone Iran has also earned a place among the surprises. In a group with Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand, the team led by Amir Ghalenoei closed the first phase undefeated, with three draws, and maintained their qualification options until the end.
Their journey also had an extracurricular component. Tensions between Iran and the United States, visa problems, and logistical difficulties marked the preparation and travel of the Asian team, with public criticism from Ghalenoei and Mehdi Taremi after the draw against Egypt.
Even so, Iran resisted: they drew against New Zealand (2-2), held Belgium to a goalless draw (0-0), and scored another point against Egypt (1-1), controversially, because a goal was disallowed for offside in the 93rd minute.
African football shows growth beyond Morocco and Egypt, with South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana and Congo standing out in the group stage. South Africa, in particular, advanced for the first time to a World Cup following a 1-0 victory over South Korea, securing second place in Group A.
Côte d’Ivoire advanced to the knockout stage for the first time in its fourth participation, beating a group that included Germany, Ecuador and Curaçao. With Yan Diomande and Nicolas Pépé leading the charge, the African team defeated Ecuador (1-0), lost by a narrow margin to Germany (2-1) and secured their pass with a 2-0 victory over Curaçao, thanks to two goals from Pépé.
Ghana has added four points in the tournament, beating Panama and drawing with England, allowing them to reach the final game with a chance of qualifying. DR Congo, for its part, ranked as one of the best third, having survived in a tough group with a win over Uzbekistan, a draw against Portugal and a minor loss to Colombia.
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