Michael Adkison/Houston Public Media
NRG Stadium, called “Houston Stadium” during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, decked out with FIFA signage on June 10, 2026.
Cape Verde, a nation of ten volcanic islands off the coast of West Africa, is something of an undisputed underdog in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Their match on Friday in Houston could be their final one of the tournament — or it could be the breakthrough that has caught many fans’ attention.
Cape Verde, which FIFA refers to as Cabo Verde, will play its final group stage match in Houston on Friday evening against Saudi Arabia. The team has yet to win a match, but it’s already exceeded expectations and garnered new supporters surprised by the team’s performance.
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In its World Cup debut, Cape Verde, ranked — 67th at the start of the tournament — ended in a 0-0 tie against Spain, which was ranked number 2 in the world. The moment stunned World Cup watchers — and dropped Spain a slot in FIFA’s global ranking.
Since then, the small country of less than 500,000 once again tied 2-2 against Uruguay, which started the tournament at 16th in the world and now ranks 18th.
Here in Houston, that excitement has resulted in a surge in ticket prices for Cape Verde’s final match of the group stage. Tickets that were once going for as little as about $160, before Cape Verde’s surprise turn, are now going for double, triple, or even more than that, according to FIFA’s official resale site.
Other resale sites, like SeatGeek, are selling tickets for hundreds of dollars more than they were weeks ago.
Cape Verde is in Group H for the FIFA World Cup. Currently, it’s ranked 3rd in the group behind Spain and Uruguay, though the latter is virtually tied with Cape Verde. Spain and Uruguay will face off on Friday evening as well.
After Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia face off on Friday evening, Houston will host two more matches. A round-of-32 knockout match on Monday will include Brazil and a yet-to-be-determined team, followed by a round-of-16 match on July 4.