The 2026 FIFA World Cup is now over, bringing an end to a monstrous 104-game tournament. In this series, I’ll be taking a look at some of the best matches from the tournament. Let’s take a look at the tournament’s biggest underdog performance.
One of the most entertaining performances from underdog in this edition of the World Cup was during the Round of 32 contest between Argentina and Cape Verde. Coming into the game, the reigning World Cup champions were overwhelming favorites against a Cape Verde side making its World Cup debut. Lionel Messi scored early to put Argentina ahead, and many believed that would be enough to secure the victory.
Cape Verde refused to back down, however, and scored an equalizer to send the game into extra time.
Lisandro Martinez put Argentina back in front 2-1 in the 92nd minute, and just when it looked like they were about to pull away, the tournament produced one of its greatest goals. Sidny Lopes Cabral scored an unbelievable strike to make it 2-2, completely shifting the momentum back in Cape Verde’s favor.
It suddenly looked like Cape Verde’s belief and underdog mentality might be enough to pull off what would have been one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.
Argentina rallied once again, a recurring theme throughout the tournament, and scored from a corner in the 111th minute to finally secure a 3-2 victory. Although Argentina were expected to win, the fight and heart shown by Cape Verde won over fans and turned this into one of the most entertaining and action-packed matches of the summer.
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