Cabo Verde stuns Argentina with Deroy Duarte equalizer in Miami

Cabo Verde dragged Argentina into a fight in Miami when Deroy Duarte scored the equalizer in the 59th minute, finishing a move started by captain Ryan Mendes and sending the match to extra time. Duarte scored his first international goal on one of the biggest stages in world soccer, and the moment briefly hushed the stadium as the underdogs stood toe to toe with the defending world champions.

The draw was the latest step in a breakthrough run for a country of just 524,877 people in 2024, according to the World Bank. Cabo Verde had never reached a World Cup before October 13, 2025, when it beat Eswatini 3-0 to finish first in CAF Group D and seal its place in the tournament, a milestone FIFA described as the nation’s first qualification for the finals.

That debut has not looked like a one-off appearance. Cabo Verde opened its World Cup campaign with a 0-0 draw against Spain and later added another draw against Uruguay in the group stage, building an unbeaten record that carried it into the round of 32 with a reputation as one of the tournament’s most stubborn outsiders. Against Argentina, the team again showed it could absorb pressure and still threaten in decisive moments.

The stakes were larger than a single result. Before the match, President José Maria Neves said he believed Cabo Verde could beat Argentina 1-0 and urged his team to face Lionel Messi and the champions with the same determination that carried it through qualification. In Miami, that confidence was visible in the way Ryan Mendes found Duarte at a tight angle and the forward sent a low cross-shot past Emiliano Martínez.

For Cabo Verde, the scoreline added to a run that has turned the national team into a symbol of possibility. A first World Cup berth, a clean sheet against Spain, a draw with Uruguay, and now a level game with Argentina have placed the island nation far beyond the margins of the tournament. The result in Miami gave its supporters another reminder that visibility at this level can carry the weight of identity, pride, and a country determined to be seen.