How Cabo Verde saved football

On Friday morning, the football world witnessed arguably the biggest controversy at the 2026 World Cup. The Round of 32 clash between Portugal and Croatia produced a thrilling contest, outstanding performances from both teams, and plenty of chances, keeping Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup dream alive. However, the public focus was elsewhere - on the referees.

Croatia's equalizer, scored deep into stoppage time, was disallowed after the motion sensor in the Trionda ball detected a touch, thereby confirming an offside.

The match Portugal couldn't lose: Victory for Diogo and Andre

The neutrals - and especially those football nostalgics, romantics, and purists - were enraged. They claimed football had lost its soul, core, essence, and that technology has made it lifeless, cold, and robotic.

About 24 hours later, football responded by shining at its brightest, reminding everyone once again that no innovation can ever strip it of the spirit forged over more than a century.

All thanks to Cabo Verde.

Miami miracle denied as Blue Sharks left heartbroken in five goal extra time thriller

What was predicted to be one of the shortest World Cup adventures became the most beautiful story of the tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, and it will remain so, regardless of what happens until the end.

Debutants - who cares? A country with less than 500,000 citizens - so what? Underdogs - are you sure?

Manager Bubista and his lads came to North America to show the most beautiful face of football. The kind where David still has a chance against Goliath.

In four games against two former and one reigning World Cup winner, Spain, Uruguay, and Argentina, as well as Saudi Arabia, the Blue Sharks proved that nothing is impossible.

They remained unbeaten after 90 minutes throughout the tournament, and their defeat to Lionel Messi and Co. last night just demonstrated that football mirrors life, and that not every fairy tale has a happy ending.

Or does it?

Wasn't frustrating Spain's superstars, knocking two-time world champions Uruguay out of the tournament, and pushing Messi and Argentina to the brink until the 120th minute a victory in itself?

Perhaps small, subtle, and not universally recognized - these achievements are still wins.

Isn't the greatest of them all the fact that now every single football fan anywhere in the world knows where Cabo Verde is, how its national anthem sounds, what their flag looks like, how many islands make up the country, who their best players are, and which clubs they play for?

Isn't that the ultimate triumph? Yes, it is.

A triumph of Cabo Verde. A triumph of football. A triumph for football.

Through the Blue Sharks, football silenced all the doubters, proving that no technology can ever take away its spirit.

The heart of the Trionda ball may be its motion sensor. The heart of football, however, lies in stories like the one gifted to us by a small African nation with big dreams over the past three weeks.

Thank you, Cabo Verde. Thank you for saving football.

WORLD CUP - KNOCKOUT STAGE

Round of 32

Sunday

South Africa - Canada 0-1 (0-0)

/Eustaquio 90+2/

Monday

Brazil - Japan 2-1 (0-1)

/Casemiro 56, Martinelli 90+5 - Sano 29/

Germany - Paraguay 3-4 on penalties (1-1)

/Havertz 54 - Enciso 42/

Tuesday

Netherlands - Morocco 2-3 on penalties (1-1)

/Gakpo 72 - Diop 90+1/

Ivory Coast - Norway 1-2 (0-1)

/Diallo 74 - Nusa 39, Haaland 86/

France - Sweden 3-0 (1-0)

/Mbappe 45, 74 Barcola 53/

Wednesday

Mexico - Ecuador 2-0 (2-0)

/Quinones 22, Jimenez 31/

England - DR Congo 2-1 (0-1)

/Kane 75, 86 - Cipenga 7/

Belgium - Senegal 3-2 a.e.t. (2-2)

/Lukaku 86, Tielemans 89, 120+5 pen - Diarra 25, Sarr I. 51/

Thursday

USA - B&H 2-0 (1-0)

/Balogun 45, Tillman 82/

Spain - Austria 3-0 (1-0)

/Oyarzabal 36, 89, Porro 66/

Friday

Portugal - Croatia 2-1 (0-0)

/Ronaldo 68 pen, Ramos 90+4 - Perisic 53/

Switzerland - Algeria 2-0 (1-0)

/Embolo 10, Ndoye 46/

Australia - Egypt 2-4 on penalties (1-1)

/Hany 55 og - Ashour 13/

Saturday

Argentina - Cabo Verde 3-2 a.e.t. (1-1)

/Messi 29, Martinez Li. 92, Borges 111 og - Duarte D. 59, Lopes Cabral 103/

Colombia - Ghana 1-0 (1-0)

/Arias 14/