Cape Verde Islands v Saudi Arabia, 26 June 2026

Score0-0
RefereeFrançois Letexier
CompetitionFIFA World Cup Group H
VenueNRG Stadium, Houston TX
Attendance68,278

View Cape Verde Islands v Saudi Arabia head to head

Kick-off: 7.00pm local . FIFA World Ranking: Cape Verde Islands 67th, Saudi Arabia 61st . This was the first-ever meeting at ‘A’ international level.

0 Cape Verde Islands

Manager: Bubista

0 Saudi Arabia

Manager: Georgios Donis

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Vózinha
Defender Diney Borges
Defender/Midfielder João Paulo
Defender/Midfielder Kevin Pina
Defender/Midfielder Pico
Defender/Midfielder Wagner Pina
Midfielder Deroy Duarte
Midfielder Jamiro Monteiro
Midfielder/Forward Ryan Mendes (captain)
Midfielder/Forward Willy Semedo
Forward Dailon Livramento

Starting lineup:

Mohammed Al Owais Goalkeeper
Abdulelah Al Amri Defender
Hassan Al Tombakti Defender
Nawaf Bu Washl Defender
Saud Abdulhamid Defender/Midfielder
Nasser Al Dawsari Defender/Midfielder
Salem Al Dawsari Midfielder (captain)
Abdullah Al Khaibari Midfielder
Mohamed Kanno Midfielder
Sultan Mandash Midfielder/Forward
Firas Al Buraikan Forward

Substitutions:

Hélio Varela for Willy Semedo 61
Nuno da Costa for Dailon Livramento 61
Laros Duarte for Jamiro Monteiro 71
Garry Rodrigues for Ryan Mendes 71
Steven Moreira for Wagner Pina 90+4

Substitutions:

Ali Lajami for Hassan Al Tombakti 33
Musab Al Juwayr for Abdullah Al Khaibari 46
Abdullah Al Hamdan for Sultan Mandash 65
Mohammed Abu Al Shamat for Salem Al Dawsari 65
Moteb Al Harbi for Nawaf Bu Washl 82

Cards:

Wagner Pina 8 Y

Cards:

Saud Abdulhamid 4 Y
Nasser Al Dawsari 67 Y
Firas Al Buraikan 90+3 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos
Goalkeeper Márcio Rosa
Defender Logan Costa
Defender Djack
Defender Stopira
Defender/Midfielder Steven Moreira
Midfielder Laros Duarte
Midfielder Yannick Semedo
Midfielder/Forward Hélio Varela
Midfielder/Forward Garry Rodrigues
Forward Gilson Benchimol
Forward Jovane Cabral
Forward Nuno da Costa

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aqidi
Goalkeeper Ahmed Al Kassar
Defender Mohammed Abu Al Shamat
Defender Hassan Kadesh
Defender Ali Lajami
Defender Jehad Thakri
Defender/Midfielder Moteb Al Harbi
Defender/Midfielder Ali Majrashi
Defender/Midfielder Ayman Yahya
Midfielder Alaa Al Hejji
Midfielder Ziyad Al Johani
Midfielder Musab Al Juwayr
Forward Khalid Al Ghannam
Forward Abdullah Al Hamdan
Forward Saleh Al Shehri

Comments:

Finishing as runners-up in Group H, Cape Verde Islands – with a population of 525,000 – had now qualified for the knockout phase at their first participation at a FIFA World Cup tournament. . The Blue Sharks had now become the first nation since Chile in France in 1998 to qualify for the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup finals by drawing their three group games. . Vozinha had now become the third goalkeeper aged 40 or over to keep a clean sheet in more than one game at FIFA World Cup tournaments: previously England’s Peter Shilton and Dino Zoff of Italy. . Cape Verde Islands named 13 of a possible 15 substitutes. Telmo Arcanjo was unavailable due to a muscle injury. Sidny Cabral was suspended after being shown two yellow cards in the tournament.

Comments:

Finishing bottom of Group H, Saudi Arabia had now failed to reach the knockout phase in six of their seven participations at FIFA World Cup tournaments. . They had now failed to score in 12 of their last 18 games at FIFA World Cup finals. . This was Saudi Arabia’s first goalless draw in their 21 games at FIFA World Cup tournaments.

0 Cape Verde Islands

Manager: Bubista

Starting lineup:

Goalkeeper Vózinha
Defender Diney Borges
Defender/Midfielder João Paulo
Defender/Midfielder Kevin Pina
Defender/Midfielder Pico
Defender/Midfielder Wagner Pina
Midfielder Deroy Duarte
Midfielder Jamiro Monteiro
Midfielder/Forward Ryan Mendes (captain)
Midfielder/Forward Willy Semedo
Forward Dailon Livramento

Substitutions:

Hélio Varela for Willy Semedo 61
Nuno da Costa for Dailon Livramento 61
Laros Duarte for Jamiro Monteiro 71
Garry Rodrigues for Ryan Mendes 71
Steven Moreira for Wagner Pina 90+4

Cards:

Wagner Pina 8 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos
Goalkeeper Márcio Rosa
Defender Logan Costa
Defender Djack
Defender Stopira
Defender/Midfielder Steven Moreira
Midfielder Laros Duarte
Midfielder Yannick Semedo
Midfielder/Forward Hélio Varela
Midfielder/Forward Garry Rodrigues
Forward Gilson Benchimol
Forward Jovane Cabral
Forward Nuno da Costa

Comments:

Finishing as runners-up in Group H, Cape Verde Islands – with a population of 525,000 – had now qualified for the knockout phase at their first participation at a FIFA World Cup tournament. . The Blue Sharks had now become the first nation since Chile in France in 1998 to qualify for the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup finals by drawing their three group games. . Vozinha had now become the third goalkeeper aged 40 or over to keep a clean sheet in more than one game at FIFA World Cup tournaments: previously England’s Peter Shilton and Dino Zoff of Italy. . Cape Verde Islands named 13 of a possible 15 substitutes. Telmo Arcanjo was unavailable due to a muscle injury. Sidny Cabral was suspended after being shown two yellow cards in the tournament.

0 Saudi Arabia

Manager: Georgios Donis

Starting lineup:

Mohammed Al Owais Goalkeeper
Abdulelah Al Amri Defender
Hassan Al Tombakti Defender
Nawaf Bu Washl Defender
Saud Abdulhamid Defender/Midfielder
Nasser Al Dawsari Defender/Midfielder
Salem Al Dawsari Midfielder (captain)
Abdullah Al Khaibari Midfielder
Mohamed Kanno Midfielder
Sultan Mandash Midfielder/Forward
Firas Al Buraikan Forward

Substitutions:

Ali Lajami for Hassan Al Tombakti 33
Musab Al Juwayr for Abdullah Al Khaibari 46
Abdullah Al Hamdan for Sultan Mandash 65
Mohammed Abu Al Shamat for Salem Al Dawsari 65
Moteb Al Harbi for Nawaf Bu Washl 82

Cards:

Saud Abdulhamid 4 Y
Nasser Al Dawsari 67 Y
Firas Al Buraikan 90+3 Y

On the bench:

Goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aqidi
Goalkeeper Ahmed Al Kassar
Defender Mohammed Abu Al Shamat
Defender Hassan Kadesh
Defender Ali Lajami
Defender Jehad Thakri
Defender/Midfielder Moteb Al Harbi
Defender/Midfielder Ali Majrashi
Defender/Midfielder Ayman Yahya
Midfielder Alaa Al Hejji
Midfielder Ziyad Al Johani
Midfielder Musab Al Juwayr
Forward Khalid Al Ghannam
Forward Abdullah Al Hamdan
Forward Saleh Al Shehri

Comments:

Finishing bottom of Group H, Saudi Arabia had now failed to reach the knockout phase in six of their seven participations at FIFA World Cup tournaments. . They had now failed to score in 12 of their last 18 games at FIFA World Cup finals. . This was Saudi Arabia’s first goalless draw in their 21 games at FIFA World Cup tournaments.