(i'm about to wax peter drury levels of poetic, so strap the fuck in)
cabo verde is just a tiny little nation off the coast of west africa, with a population just shy of the city of detroit. they’re a nation mostly forgotten by the world, made of two volcanic islands. a people who live mostly peaceful, unremarkable lives.
when they qualified for the world cup, literally no one knew who they were, let alone where. a small country, meant to be a blip on the path of the giants amidst them. and then they held spain to a draw.
most people said it was a fluke, a bad showing by spain and a stroke of luck for them combined, because no way in hell can a 40 year old goalie stop lamine yamal, right?
then lightning struck twice.
they did that with uruguay, holding them to 2-2. uruguay, former multiple world champions. over a remarkable run in an already remarkable world cup, cabo verde came in second in a group with spain, uruguay and saudi arabia. they are david, facing down goliath with no fear, only squared shoulders.
today, they held lionel messi’s argentina to the very edge of their sanity, making them work over 3 hours to earn this victory. three hours of relentless defense, some of the best goalkeeping i’ve ever seen from a man who did not pick up those gloves until his 20s, and a team unshaken by the giants they were facing.
they lost, yes, but they lost 3-2 to lionel messi’s argentina, the same team that won the previous world cup in a journey worthy of a fairytale of its own. they say that miracles don’t happen - and they don’t, because this isn’t a miracle.
this is the hero’s journey, and we have all just experienced the incredible privilege it was to bear witness.
