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The underdogs of the 2026 FIFA World Cup have advanced to the round of 32, where Cape Verde will face defending champions Argentina. For FOX Sports’ Kasper Schmeichel, the resilience of Cape Verde reminded him of his own underdog story in the Premier League.
Schmeichel, a former goalkeeper for the Denmark national team and Leicester City FC, recalled the emotions surrounding a heroic story like Cape Verde's.
"You play without fear. You play for the joy of playing. I love the fact that, particularly in football, it’s 11 against 11. Anything can happen on that day," Schmeichel said on "World Cup Now". "But the thing that sets underdogs that achieve things apart for me is the culture. Culture is the hardest thing to build and the easiest thing to break, one bad decision, it takes one bad person to disrupt it and to ruin it."
Schmeichel was the Leicester City Player of the Season in 2017 and 2021 and won Danish Player of the Year on three occasions. In 2016, Schmeichel and Leicester City won the Premier League after opening the season with 5,000 to 1 odds.
Cape Verde fell into the spotlight after their shocking 0-0 draw with Spain to start their World Cup campaign, with goalkeeper Vozinha recording seven saves. Since their debut on June 15, all eyes have been on Cape Verde. Notably, Vozinha has gained over 14 million followers on Instagram since their group stage performance.
Newly minted fan favorite Vozinha Dias of Cape Verde celebrates, as the team qualified for the knockout stage. (Photo by Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Now, as the third-smallest nation in the tournament, Cape Verde has made history for their country with their round of 32 spot.
"To have everyone on the same page, that's the real difficult bit. For us, it was the connection with the club, with the fans, it was everything coming together at once…" Schmeichel said of his Leicester team. "It’s the synergy of everything together that makes these incredible stories."
Additionally, the 0-0 draw also brought attention to the total valuation of Cape Verde and Spain. In total, Cape Verde’s national team has a combined transfer value of €54.4M (approximately $63.1M). In comparison, Spain’s Lamine Yamal's value rounds out to €200M (approximately $232.1M).
For Schmeichel, the passion and the culture can easily outweigh the price tag.
"It’s not always about that. You win in different ways, and you can have success in different ways. What we’re seeing from Cape Verde… these underdog stories are the essence of sport," Schmeichel said.
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