2026 World Cup: Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, Probable Lineups

After their respective draws against Saudi Arabia and Spain, Uruguay and Cape Verde will be battling for crucial points to keep their hopes alive of advancing to the next round of the 2026 World Cup. The match will take place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. local time on Sunday—midnight between Sunday and Monday in Italy. Norwegian referee Espen Eskas will officiate the match.

La Celeste drew their first match against a Saudi Arabia side they dominated statistically, but which still managed to take the lead through Al-Amri late in the first half: the equalizer came only in the 80th minute, when Maximiliano Araujo beat Al-Owais to avoid what would have been a stunning defeat. Against Cape Verde, there is little room for error: failing to win would put their advancement to the Round of 16 at serious risk.

The Blue Sharks want to build on their performance in the 0-0 draw against Spain: the team led by Bubista proved solid and organized in defense—thanks in part to Vozinha’s saves—and was also able to create a few opportunities on the counterattack, though they failed to capitalize on them. Cape Verde has the advantage of having nothing to lose, a factor that could prove crucial against a team that, on the other hand, absolutely cannot afford any missteps.

Probable Lineups

URUGUAY (4-4-2): Muslera; Varela, Cáceres, Olivera, Sanabria; Valverde, Bentancur, Ugarte, Araujo; Canobbio, Núñez. Head Coach: Bielsa.

CAPE VERDE (4-5-1): Vozinha; Moreira, Diney, Pico, S. Cabral; Mendes, Duarte, Lenini, Monteiro, J. Cabral; Livramento. Head Coach: Bubista.