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The 2026 FIFA World Cup underdogs have qualified for the round of 16, where Cape Verde will face defending champions Argentina. For Kasper Schmeichel of FOX Sports, Cape Verde’s resilience reminded him of his own history as an underdog in the Premier League.
Schmeichel, a former goalkeeper for the Danish national team and Leicester City FC, recalled the emotions aroused by a heroic story like Cape Verde’s.
“You play without fear. You play for the pleasure of playing. I like the fact that, especially in football, it’s 11 versus 11. Anything can happen on that day,” Schmeichel said on “World Cup Now.” “But what sets successful underdogs apart for me is culture. Culture is the hardest thing to build and the easiest thing to break, one bad decision, it takes a bad person to disrupt and ruin it.”
Schmeichel was Leicester City’s Player of the Season in 2017 and 2021 and has won the Danish Player of the Year three times. In 2016, Schmeichel and Leicester City won the Premier League after opening the season at odds of 5,000 to 1.
Cape Verde fell into the spotlight after their 0-0 draw with Spain to start their World Cup campaign, with goalkeeper Vozinha recording seven saves. Since their debut on June 15, all eyes have been on Cape Verde. Notably, Vozinha has gained over 14 million followers on Instagram since her group stage performance.
New fan favorite Vozinha Dias of Cape Verde celebrates as the team advances to the knockout stage. (Photo by Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Now, as the third smallest nation in the tournament, Cape Verde has made national history with its place in the round of 16.
“Having everyone on the same page, that’s the real difficulty. For us, it was the connection with the club, with the supporters, it was everything coming together at the same time…” Schmeichel said of his Leicester team. “It’s the synergy of it all that makes these incredible stories.”
Additionally, the 0-0 draw also drew attention to the total valuation of Cape Verde and Spain. In total, the Cape Verde national team has a combined transfer value of 54.4 million euros (approximately $63.1 million). For comparison, the value of Spaniard Lamine Yamal amounts to €200 million (approximately $232.1 million).
For Schmeichel, passion and culture can easily compensate for the price.
“It’s not always about that. You win in different ways and you can succeed in different ways. What we see in Cape Verde…these underdog stories are the essence of sport,” Schmeichel said.
