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Uruguay vs Cabo Verde Player Ratings- Man of the Match, Winners and Disappointments
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- Uruguay vs Cabo Verde Player Ratings- Man of the Match, Winners and Disappointments
Uruguay and Cabo Verde draw 202 at Miami Stadium, and the result keeps both teams alive, but both teams need to win in the next matchday later this week.
Uruguay is second in Group H with two points, with a 0-goal difference, and Cabo Verde is third with two points, with a 0-goal difference; Uruguay is higher since they scored three goals in the World Cup so far to Cabo Verde's two goals.
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Uruguay's next match is against Spain, which is a must-win, while Cabo Verde will play Saudi Arabia, which is also a must-win match.
All four teams have a chance of advancing to the knockout stage, with Saudi Arabia less likely out of the four and Spain the closest to secure qualifcation to the next round.
Who Scored for Cabo Verde?
Cabo Verde made history as their first-ever World Cup goal arrived today against Uruguay. The African team took the lead in the 21st minute from a direct free kick from Kevin Pina.
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The midfielder went for the shot from 30 yards, and it went through the Uruguay wall and past Fernando Muslera.
Kevin Pina #6 of Cabo Verde celebrates with teammates after scoring the team's first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Uruguay and Cabo Verde at Miami Stadium on June 21, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images
More history was made, and in the second half, Cabo Verde would equalize in the 60th minute after a mistake from Matheus Olivera, who tried to pass to a teammate in the middle of the pitch, but it was intercepted by Helio Varela.
Muslera would come out of his box to attempt to clear the ball, but Varela could get to the ball first and pushed the ball into the empty net.
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Who Scored for Uruguay?
Uruguay's forward #14 Agustin Canobbio celebrates with teammate midfielder #20 Maximiliano Araujo scoring his team's second goal during the 2026 World Cup Group H football match between Uruguay and Cape Verde at the Miami Stadium in Miami Gardens on June 21, 2026. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP via Getty Images)Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP via Getty Images
Late in the first half, Uruguay would score two goals in less than eight minutes. Maxi Araujo scored the equalizer for Uruguay in the 44th minute with a header after a header in the box hit the post.
In the 51st minute, Agustin Canobbio scored the second goal for Uruguay with a calm finish past Vozinha; Araujo provided the assist for the Uruguayan winger.
The winners are the Cabo Verde defense, which almost kept Uruguay quiet from scoring, but two late goals in the first half almost ruined their hard work.
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The disappointment was with the Uruguay goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera. The experienced goalkeeper was arguably the worst player on the pitch as he was questioned about not being ready for the free kick he conceded in the first half.
The second Cabo Verde goal was a poor mistake from the goalkeeper as he came out of his box, which highly exposed his net; Helio Varela took full advantage of the mistake and scored a simple goal.
Player Ratings for Uruguay and Cabo Verde (1-10)
These post-match player ratings from Athlon Sports are based on first-hand analysis while watching the match.
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A one (1) is the worst possible score for a player who saw substantial minutes, while a 10 represents a stellar game-changing performance. A five (5) is average based on a player's role and expected contributions.
Uruguay
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Fernando Muslera - 3
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Juan Sanabria - 5
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Mathias Olivera - 4
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Sebastian Caceres - 6
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Guillermo Varela - 6
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Manuel Ugarte - 6
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Rodrigo Bentancur - 7
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Maxi Araujo - 8 (Man of the Match)
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Federico Valverde - 7
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Agustin Canobbio - 7
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Federico Vinas - 6
Subs:Darwin Nunez (7), Nicolas de la Cruz (6), Brian Rodriguez (6)
Cabo Verde
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Vozinha - 5
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Sidny Lopes Cabral - 7
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Diney Borges - 7
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Roberto Lopes - 6
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Steven Moreira - 7
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Kevin Pina - 7
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Garry Rodrigues - 6
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Jamiro Monteiro - 6
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Telmo Arcanjo - 6
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Gilson Benchimol - 6
Subs:Deroy Duarte (5), Helio Varela (7), Nuno da Costa (5), Laros Duarte (7), Yannick Semedo (6)
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jun 22, 2026, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
