Cape Verde’s World Cup debut keeps rewriting expectations. After holding Spain, the Blue Sharks stunned another traditional power by drawing with Uruguay, a result that felt less like a miracle and more like confirmation of belonging at this level.

Brothers Laros and Deroy Duarte, both central to Cape Verde’s midfield story, walked off the pitch torn between disbelief and conviction. The match had swung wildly, with Cape Verde twice battling back and refusing to be overawed by opponents drawn from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

“It was a really crazy match,” Laros reflected afterward. “I think also an enjoyable match for everyone. But honestly, I still need to process it a bit. Everything that happened.”

Deroy, who anchored the midfield against a star-studded Uruguayan side, insisted the result was no fluke. “I’m not even that surprised,” he said. “We’ve shown before that we can play against bigger teams and come back. For the outside world it might be surprising, but I did have the feeling that we could do something today.”

The moment that will live longest in Cape Verdean memory came with Kevin Pina’s thunderous strike, the nation’s first ever World Cup goal. “We know he has a good shot,” Deroy said. “But the fact that he scores from that far out is still special. Everyone jumped off the bench, the fans went wild. This is such a beautiful moment for our country.”

When Cape Verde later made it 2-2, the sense of history deepened. The Duartes admitted that only after the final whistle did the scale of the occasion sink in, especially with Uruguayan legends Luis Suárez, Diego Forlán and Diego Godín watching from the stands. “Once you’re on the pitch, you’re just playing football,” Laros said. “But afterwards you realize how big the stage really is. Then you do think: this is bizarre.”

Yet there was no trace of inferiority. “If you look at the closing stages, we could have just won this too,” Laros added. “That gives a lot of confidence.”

The highlight for the family came when Laros entered as a substitute and the brothers shared the field. “It’s a dream come true,” Deroy said. “You suddenly realize: I’m just standing with my brother at a World Cup.”

For Laros, it felt like street football elevated to a global stage. “We always used to play together on the squares. Only now you’re doing it on the biggest stage. This is truly a boyhood dream.”