Cape Verde faced reigning European champions Spain in their debut World Cup finals match on Monday.
Lee Dixon was astonished by the outcome (Image: Getty Images)
Former Arsenal defender and ITV co-commentator Lee Dixon was almost brought to tears as Cape Verde held Spain to a draw in their first-ever World Cup appearance. Emotional scenes unfolded among the players from the small island nation in Africa.
They arrived in the USA as one of the tournament's outsiders, having qualified for the competition for the first time in their nation's history. Against Spain, heavily favored to win the trophy, they faced a daunting challenge, similar to Curacao's encounter with Germany.
However, every single player delivered an extraordinary performance, especially 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who made countless saves against the Spanish offense. After the diaspora nation secured a remarkable 0-0 draw against the former world champions, the players were overcome with emotion.
Cape Verde caused a major upset against Spain in the World Cup (Image: Grzegorz Wajda/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Image)
Observing numerous players in blue shirts crying with joy, Dixon said: "I have to say, you might hear it in my voice, I am a bit emotional. It's absolutely fantastic, a brilliant, brilliant performance.
"They deserve that point more than anything and Spain almost don't deserve a point. They will walk off disappointed but this night is Cape Verde's.
"What a performance, every single one of them. The centre-halves, the full-backs. That man there (Vozinha), crying, I am nearly crying myself."
In FIFA's world rankings, Cape Verde entered the match at No. 64, while Spain sat third, behind only defending champions Argentina and France.
Get the latest World Cup news delivered to your inbox by signing up for our Make Football Great Again newsletter now!
Cape Verde drew 0-0 with European champions Spain. (Image: Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
Spain registered 23 shots on goal, with eight on target, but were unable to find the net.
Alongside Vozinha, Irish-born Cape Verde defender Roberto 'Pico' Lopez, who plays for Shamrock Rovers in Ireland, also excelled, repeatedly putting his body on the line to block the Spanish attack.
Spain chose not to start Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal but brought him on after realizing how stubborn the Cape Verdeans were. They also introduced Euro 2024 star Nico Williams, though the two talented youngsters could not break the deadlock.
This result gives Cape Verde a genuine opportunity to advance from Group H. Unfortunately for the African side, their path does not get any easier.
On 21 June, they must face South American giants Uruguay, before concluding the group stage with a potentially decisive match against Saudi Arabia on 27 June.
Sky is offering 20% off its entire range of Glass TVs to mark the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Until June 17, shoppers can upgrade to the Sky smart TV that's 'designed for football' from Β£4.50 per month when taken alongside a Sky TV and Netflix package.