Uruguay vs Cape Verde Islands: Winners & losers - Historic goals and costly errors

In partnership with

GOAL

·22 Juni 2026

Uruguay vs Cape Verde Islands: Winners & losers - Historic goals and costly errors

Cape Verde twice fell behind yet twice fought back, with Kevin Lenini's historic free kick and Hélio Varela's opportunistic finish securing a 2–2 draw against Uruguay. Maxi Araújo scored and assisted for Uruguay in a dramatic first-half stoppage time turnaround, but Mathías Olivera's misplaced pass undid their lead. GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Uruguay v Cape Verde Islands.

Winners

Maxi Araújo (Uruguay)

Maxi Araújo delivered Uruguay's most influential performance with a goal and an assist in a crucial five-minute spell at the end of the first half. His predatory instincts and ability to find space in dangerous areas turned the match around when Uruguay trailed 0–1.

Video OneFootball

In the 44th minute, Araújo reacted quickest when Sidny Lopes Cabral's attempted clearance struck the post, heading in the rebound from close range to level the scores. Just minutes later at 45+6', he rose between Cape Verde's centre-backs to meet Manuel Ugarte's cross and nod the ball down for Agustín Canobbio to finish.

Araújo had a goal disallowed for offside at 68 minutes and created Uruguay's most consistent attacking threat before being substituted in the 81st minute. His direct involvement in both Uruguayan goals made him the driving force behind their comeback, even if the result ultimately slipped away after his departure.

Kevin Lenini (Cape Verde Islands)

Kevin Lenini wrote his name into his nation's football history by scoring Cape Verde's first-ever World Cup goal. His 21st-minute free kick from 27 metres beat Fernando Muslera at the bottom right corner, announcing the debutants' credentials against a two-time World Cup-winning nation.

Lenini struck the set piece with precision, finding a gap through Uruguay's wall to send the ball low into the net. Operating as the holding midfielder, he also provided a shield in front of the defence and helped disrupt Uruguay's rhythm through the opening half-hour before his goal gave Cape Verde the lead.

Though Lenini was substituted at 71 minutes after appearing to suffer cramps, his goal gave Cape Verde the platform for their spirited display. For a nation of around 500,000 people at their first World Cup, his strike represented a historic achievement that the draw ultimately preserved.

Loser

Mathías Olivera (Uruguay)

Mathías Olivera's afternoon was defined by one costly mistake that handed Cape Verde their equalizer. His misplaced short backpass in the 61st minute was intercepted by Hélio Varela, who rounded Fernando Muslera and finished into the empty net to restore parity at 2–2.

The error came just three minutes after Olivera had received a yellow card for fouling Benchimol. Under pressure from substitute Nuno Da Costa, his attempted pass to Sebastián Cáceres fell short, allowing Varela – who had been on the pitch barely three minutes – to capitalize with a composed finish from outside the area.

Teammates were seen consoling Olivera after the goal, recognizing the weight of the moment. Uruguay had controlled the second half until that point, and his lapse transformed what looked like a comfortable path to victory into a tense final 30 minutes that ended without a winner.