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The losers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup have advanced to the round of 32, where Cape Verde will face defending champions Argentina. For FOX Sports’ Kasper Schmeichel, Cape Verde’s resistance reminded him of his own underdog history in the Premier League.
Schmeichel, former goalkeeper for the Denmark national team and Leicester City FC, recalled the emotions that surround a heroic story like that of Cape Verde.
“You play without fear. You play for the pleasure of playing. I love that, especially in soccer, it’s 11 against 11. Anything can happen that day,” Schmeichel said on “World Cup Now.” “But what separates the underdogs who achieve things to 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 it and ruin it.”
Schmeichel was Leicester City’s Player of the Season in 2017 and 2021 and won the Danish Player of the Year award 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 shocking 0-0 draw with Spain to begin their World Cup campaign, with goalkeeper Vozinha recording seven saves. Since its debut on June 15, all eyes have been on Cape Verde. Notably, Vozinha has gained over 14 million followers on Instagram since his performance in the group stage.
New fan favorite Vozinha Dias of Cape Verde celebrates the team qualifying for the knockout stage. (Photo by Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Now, as the third smallest nation in the tournament, Cape Verde has made history for its country with its place in the round of 32.
“Having everyone on the same page, that’s the really difficult thing. For us, it was the connection with the club, with the fans, it was everything coming together at the same time…” Schmeichel said of his Leicester team. “It’s the synergy of everything that makes these stories incredible.”
Furthermore, the 0-0 draw also drew attention to the overall rating of Cape Verde and Spain. In total, the Cape Verde national team has a combined transfer value of €54.4 million (approximately $63.1 million). In comparison, the value of Spain’s Lamine Yamal is around €200 million (approximately $232.1 million).
For Schmeichel, passion and culture can easily outweigh price.
“It’s not always about that. You win in different ways and you can be successful in different ways. What we’re seeing in Cape Verde… these underdog stories are the essence of sport,” Schmeichel said.
