Uruguay vs Cape Verde
Cape Verde instantly became the tournament darlings of the World Cup 2026, following their shocking goalless draw against Spain in their opener last week. And with Uruguay holding Saudi Arabia to a 1-1 draw, Group H is suddenly wide open heading into the second matchday.
Bubista’s men will hope that lightning strikes twice when they face Uruguay at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday. By the time this game starts, Spain will probably have beaten Saudi Arabia to take the top berth, putting undue pressure on these two sides.
While getting another point would suit Cape Verde well, the same cannot be said for Uruguay, who are expected to join Spain at the top in the first place. Marcelo Bielsa’s group will probably vent their ire on their CAF counterparts to put them in their place.
There’s so much on the line from this match, and SBOTOP has you covered with today’s preview.
Talking Points
Bielsa face lineup dilemma for Uruguay
Head coach Marcelo Bielsa could tinker with his starting XI against Cape Verde after Uruguay’s wasteful performance against Saudi Arabia last time out. If it weren’t for Maximiliano Araujo’s late equaliser, La Celeste would’ve been consigned to the bottom of Group H.
One question Bielsa has to answer on Sunday is whether he’ll give Darwin Nunez a second chance to impress. The Al-Hilal striker was yanked during halftime against the Green Falcons, as Nunez failed to make an impact, logging only eight touches in the first 45 minutes.
Agustin Canobbio took Nunez’s spot in the second half alongside Juan Manuel Sanabria, and Uruguay’s attack looked more dangerous, so we wouldn’t be surprised if Nunez starts on the bench against Cape Verde.
Meanwhile, Jose Maria Gimenez could start against Cape Verde to shore up their backline. The Uruguay skipper was on the bench against Saudi Arabia but wasn’t called into action due to an ankle injury. If he’s good to go, it will be the 100th cap for the Atletico Madrid centre-back.
However, he’ll be without his centre-half partner, Ronald Araujo, as the Barcelona star is recovering from a calf injury he sustained in the lead-up to the tournament. The earliest he could return is the knockout phase, should La Celeste make it that far.
Cape Verde’s Vozinha will do it for mom
Vozinha proved that age is just a number, as the 40-year-old goalkeeper was named Man of the Match for his superb shift between the sticks against the mighty Spain team, where he logged seven saves. At 40 years and 12 days, Vozinha became the oldest player to make an appearance in a nation’s debut World Cup game.
After holding Spain, Vozinha said his mother hadn’t been able to secure a visa to enter the United States to see him play. But with the help of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, per the World Cup 2026 news, Vozinha’s mom will get to watch her son play against Uruguay.
History
Uruguay and Cape Verde have never squared off until this weekend, especially since this is the first time the latter has qualified for the World Cup, while the former has won the quadrennial tournament twice in 1930 and 1950.
La Celeste’s stalemate on matchday one extended their record to just one loss in their last nine World Cup group-stage matches (W6, D2). Uruguay are unbeaten in their last five World Cup games against African sides (W4, D1).
After sending shockwaves by holding Spain to a goalless draw, Cape Verde are now undefeated in three of their last four games across all competitions (D1, L1), with three clean sheets from their last three.
Betting Tip
The World Cup 2026 odds expect Uruguay to defeat Cape Verde in South Beach this weekend. If you earned a lot from the Blue Sharks’ surprising draw against La Roja, you can earn more if you back them to get another positive result. Uruguay are 1.47 favourites to win, whereas Cape Verde are 7.70 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.96 in the 1X2 market.
Cape Verde will likely use the same strategy they executed against Spain against Uruguay, whose attack lacked the clinical touch in the previous match, so we’re going for the Unders. Besides our recommended bet, bettors may also consider adding Under 2.00 at 2.13, Under 2.25 at 1.85, Under 2.50 at 1.62, and Total Goal 0-1 at 2.69 to the parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 0-0 would generate a robust payday of 7.40 and more smiles on the Blue Sharks’ faces.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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