Cape Verde President JosΓ© Maria Neves has expressed unwavering confidence ahead of his nation’s FIFA World Cup Round of 32 showdown against Argentina, insisting the Blue Sharks have every chance of pulling off one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
Speaking ahead of the highly anticipated encounter, Neves declared that Cape Verde have a “100% chance” of defeating the reigning world champions, stressing that his country’s ambition is to write its own chapter in World Cup history.
“We have 100% chance of beating Argentina. We came to this World Cup to write our own destiny by taking on the champions,” the president said.
Neves went further by predicting a narrow 1-0 victory for Cape Verde, emphasizing that his team is not travelling onto the pitch simply to compete but to secure a famous win.
“I believe we can beat Argentina 1-0. We play to win,” he added.
The Cape Verdean leader acknowledged that expectations remain modest for his nation but believes determination can outweigh reputation on football’s biggest stage.
“When expectations for a team are low, but that team has the determination to win, anything is possible,” he said.
Neves concluded by highlighting Cape Verde’s identity as a small nation that thrives on defying the odds.
“A small country like Cape Verde should always strive to do exactly that: keep surprising people.”
Cape Verde will be seeking to produce one of the greatest upsets of the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they face tournament favourites Argentina, with a place in the Round of 16 at stake.
