smallest

Tiny Cape Verde have become the history makers of World Cup 2026 by defying all odds to become the smallest country to earn a spot in the knockout stages of the competition.

Their improbable run through the group stage, with a third straight World Cup draw, was completed with a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia on Friday night to advance in the tournament.

Keeping goal for Cape Verde throughout has been Vozinha, 40, who has embodied the grit of his nation.

“We are small, but we have big hearts and we are fighters,” said the goalkeeper, who last season played for Chaves in Portugal’s second tier.

The island nation off the western coast of Africa, which is making its debut on football’s grandest stage, already held 2010 champion Spain to a 0-0 draw – a shock in itself to begin their campaign.

They then came from behind to get a 2-2 result against Uruguay – the winners of the inaugural World Cup in 1930.

“The team was very eager to show this to the whole world,” Cape Verde coach Bubista said while draped in his country’s flag after the Saudi Arabia game.

“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 three points put the team in second place behind Spain, which beat Uruguay on Friday night and won the group.

Cape Verde will play reigning World Cup champion Argentina in Miami on July 3.

Drawing all three group matches doesn’t guarantee advancement at major football tournaments, but several teams have done it in the past. Those include: Wales in 1958, Ireland and the Netherlands in 1990, and Chile in 1998. New Zealand, however, also got three draws at the 2010 World Cup and were eliminated.

On the eve of the match, Bubista mused, “Everyone is entitled to dream and nothing is impossible.”

The Blue Sharks proved him right, overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds as this country of just  530,000 reached the round of 32.

A woman, her face painted with a flag of the archipelago, held a sign that read: “Small Islands, Big Dreams,” a dream that these underdogs have made reality as they continue their charmed run on the world stage.

They did it with another strong game from Vozinha, whose tournament success has helped him amass more than 16 million Instagram followers.

He had a save in first-half stoppage time, grabbing a header from Mohamed Kanno to keep Saudi Arabia scoreless. Another save came in the 66th minute when he leaped to deflect a shot from Mohammed Abu al-Shamat.

A third came in the 92nd minute when he stopped a shot by Abdullah al-Hamdan.

“There is a lot of quality in our national team,” Vozinha said. “Maybe for many of you, you think the Cape Verdean player is not good enough. But we came here to show that we have a lot of quality and we are here to compete and our players can play everywhere in the big competition, in the big leagues.”

A group of shirtless men in the crowd each painted one letter of his name on their chests as they cheered Cape Verde.

But Vozinha had a much bigger fan among the crowd of 68,278 as his mother Ana Candida Evora watched from a luxury suite, waving a tiny Cape Verde flag. It was her second match of the tournament after missing Vozinha’s epic seven-save performance against Spain because of visa issues.

Cape Verde had a chance to score in the 50th minute, but Kevin Pina’s shot from distance was just above the crossbar. Another chance came in the 74th minute when Laros Duarte’s shot from the middle of the box was stopped by goalkeeper Mohammed al-Owais.

A last chance to score came in the final seconds when Nuno da Costa sent a shot from the middle of the box wide left.

But it didn’t matter because a couple of minutes after the final whistle, Spain completed its victory over Uruguay and set off a joyous celebration among Cape Verde’s players and fans, many of whom cried as they rejoiced.

Having led his squad to new heights, Bubista was asked if he could have imagined such a run entering the tournament.

“I’ve always said that sooner or later Cape Verde would be on such a stage,” he said. “Of course, it’s hard to have such a forecast, but I always knew.”

Saudi Arabia were eliminated after finishing with two points in the group stage.

“We were very poor in terms of creating things, controlling the game and creating actions,” coach Georgios Donis said. “And one cannot win a game this way. It would be very difficult.”

COMPLETELY surrounded by Italy, one European country that’s home to the oldest republic in the world makes for a dreamy escape.

With only two million people visiting last year – less than the population of Greater Manchester – San Marino is a great European option if you don’t want the crowds.

Officially a UNESCO World Heritage microstate, San Marino – which is the fifth smallest country in the world – feels like “walking around in a Disney movie” according to one visitor on Instagram.

The Disney-like feel is most likely due to San Marino‘s three towering medieval castles at the top of Monte Titano.

Guaita Tower – which is the First Tower – was built in the 11th century and is the largest of the three.

Visitors can head to the tower and explore the battlements, as well as old prison cells and the Chapel of Santa Barbara.

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Cesta Tower – the Second Tower – is slightly newer, dating back to the 13th century and sits on the highest of Monte Titano’s peaks at around 755 metres above sea level.

The tower is home to the Museum of Ancient Weapons.

And finally, there is the Montale Tower – the Third Tower – which is the smallest and youngest of the three, built in the 14th century.

This tower is not open to the public though.

There’s also Piazza della Libertà, which is the heart of the Old Town.

Here, visitors can explore a number of shops and small museums, as well as stop at the historic parliament building.

And while you don’t get your passport stamped when visiting San Marino, you can head to the tourist centre inside Porta San Francesco, and get a physical stamp in your passport as a souvenir for €5 (£4.33).

To catch an amazing view of San Marino, head up the Cableway which goes from Borgo Maggiore to the city centre and then to the monument of Bartolomeo Borghesi.

The cities of Florence, Rimini and Bologna are all close by as well, making San Marino the ideal day trip if you’re staying in one of them.

Though if you did want to stay in San Marino, there are a few options including the four-star Grand Hotel San Marino costing from £69 per night in June.

The easiest way to get to the microstate is by hopping on a shuttle bus from Rimini, which costs about €7 (£6.06) and takes around an hour.

When it comes to spending money in San Marino, it is typically cheaper than Italy with the average coffee costing €1.57 (£1.36) and the average beer costing €5 (£4.33).

In comparison, in Florence a beer will set you back at least a euro more and a coffee costs from €2.05 (£1.77).

Flights to Rimini in June cost from £37 return and take between two and two-and-a-half hours from the UK.

Alternatively, if you want to go to Bologna, return flights in June cost from £28 and again, take between two and two-and-a-half hours from the UK.

From Bologna, it then takes about an hour and 20 minutes on the bus to reach San Marino.