Two weeks ago, very few fans in the whole world of sports had ever heard of the island nation of Cape Verde.
Now? They’re the best story going, a World Cup darling, stunningly pulling off back-to-back draws with former World Cup champions Spain and Uruguay.
At this point, no one would bet against Cape Verde, even if the odds will remain stacked against them.
They held the European champions scoreless in a 0-0 draw last week.
Then on Sunday, against Uruguay, they went ahead on a long-distance goal, fell behind by giving up two, then answered with a brilliant volley from outside the box to equalize 2-2. Cape Verde held on for dear life, then nearly stole the win late on.
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The sporting story in a very literal sense is this: Cape Verde has 2 points through 2 matches, and plays Saudi Arabia to close the group stage. That’s a winnable match. They could legitimately get to the knockout round.
The full story? It’s so much more magical.
There’s the 40-year old goalkeeper Vozinha, whose mother was granted a U.S. visa and got to watch him play on Sunday in Miami.
There’s the cast of characters that play in outposts around the world, who have come together on the biggest stage in international football to seize hearts.
Every neutral fan around the world is rooting for this country that they had never heard of before.
What other sporting event provides that opportunity?
The World Cup expanded this year, to 48 teams, and many worried about the lopsided results that might follow.
Fewer folks considered this — that teams like Cape Verde and Curacao could make history that almost surely would’ve never been possible before.
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Cape Verde is no fluke. They were strong in African qualifying, and they’re proving they can play with anyone.
The same Spain team they drew 0-0 put four goals past Saudi Arabia in a 4-0 win earlier on Sunday. The commutative property would say that Cape Verde could put a couple of goals past the Saudis.
This is a Cape Verde squad playing with confidence. They’re dribbling around, past and through defenders. They’re turning on the ball with grace. They’re pinging passes across the field.
Even they may not have known exactly what to expect upon their arrival in North America for this tournament.
Now, they know they belong, and everyone else sees it, too.
And there’s a chance the magic is just getting started.