Uruguay vs. Cape Verde: World Cup Match Preview

Uruguay faced Cape Verde in their second Group H match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 21, 2026, at Miami Stadium on FS1. This fixture marked the first-ever senior international meeting between these two nations. Cape Verde pulled off one of the great World Cup surprises in its World Cup debut, forcing a draw against the reigning European champion Spain, 0-0. The Blue Sharks were the only one of this tournament’s four debutants to get a point in the first set of group games, and they were the first team to post a shutout in its World Cup debut since 2006. The 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha was Cape Verde’s hero, making seven saves to keep Cape Verde's clean sheet. Meanwhile, Uruguay drew its opener 1-1 against Saudi Arabia, but the match was a tale of two halves. In the first half, Uruguay had 58% possession, and shots were even at five apiece. In the second half, Uruguay had 75% possession and outshot Saudi Arabia 22-2. La Celeste's 22 second-half shots tied a World Cup record. Uruguay aimed to carry that second-half momentum into the remainder of the tournament. As of June 21, the odds for the Uruguay vs. Cape Verde matchup at FanDuel Sportsbook were: Moneyline - Uruguay: -240, Cape Verde: +800, Draw: +330. Spread: Uruguay -1.5: +150, Cape Verde +1.5: -190. Over/Under Total Odds: 2.5, Over: +128, Under: -158. Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica, FOX Sports Wagering Analyst, remarked on Cape Verde's miraculous effort in their last match against Spain, managing a 0-0 draw despite having just 26% possession. This led to a favorable view of Uruguay, who looked dreadful in the first half against Saudi Arabia but showed improvement in the second half after substituting Darwin Núñez and moving Federico Viñas further upfield. Uruguay probably deserved to win against Saudi Arabia, but they did not. Fallica bet on Uruguay to win and recommended taking Uruguay -1.5. The match was set to be watched on June 21, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. ET at Miami Stadium, Miami, FL, airing on FS1 and streamed for free for three days on FOX One.