Cape Verde become smallest country to make World Cup knockouts - ESPN

Cape Verde's dream journey at their first World Cup is not over yet.

The island nation off the western coast of Africa became the smallest country by population to ever make the knockout stage of a men's World Cup after a goalless draw with Saudi Arabia in their group stage finale in Houston on Friday.

«We are small,» said Vozinha, Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper who embodied the grit of his nation. «But we have big hearts and we are fighters.»

The tournament debutants pulled off one of the World Cup's biggest surprises by playing pre-tournament favorites Spain to a scoreless draw in its opener. They followed that up by scoring its first goals of the World Cup in a 2-2 tie against Uruguay.

— Uruguay out of World Cup after GK blunder against Spain

With Friday's draw, they finish undefeated on three points and take second place in Group H behind 2010 winners Spain and a point ahead of two-time World Cup champions Uruguay.

Uruguay's defeat to Spain at the same time Friday means they join Saudi Arabia in succumbing to an early exit.

The big hitters will keep coming for Cape Verde, with defending champions Argentina next up in a round-of-32 matchup in Miami Gardens, Florida, on July 3.

«The team was very eager to show this to the whole world,» Cape Verde coach Bubista said while draped in his country's flag. «We are proud of having arrived at this stage. We have shown that we are a small country, but that we fight for the things that we want to achieve.»

Cape Verde's population of 525,000 inhabitants is smaller than all 50 U.S. states, with Wyoming the closest with a population of 576,000.

Already they have gone further than the only smaller nations by population to reach the World Cup. Curaçao and Iceland were both