Cape Verde is set to face the defending champion Argentina, which has already secured first place in Group J, in the Round of 16 on July 4 at Miami Stadium in the United States.

Cape Verde, making its first-ever appearance in the World Cup finals, played to a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia at Houston Stadium in Texas, USA.

Having previously drawn 0-0 in its World Cup debut against Spain—led by goalkeeper Vozinha’s stellar saves—and securing a 2-2 draw against South American powerhouse Uruguay, Cape Verde made history by advancing to the Round of 32 as the runner-up in its group with an undefeated record of three draws.

Saudi Arabia, which drew 1-1 with Uruguay and suffered a 0-4 defeat to Spain, finished at the bottom of the group with two draws and one loss (2 points) and was eliminated from the tournament.

Saudi Arabia could have secured second place in the group had it won the match, provided Spain defeated Uruguay, but ultimately became the victim of Cape Verde's sensational run.

Saudi Arabia dominated the early stages of the first half, but Cape Verde gradually increased its possession, keeping the match tightly contested.

However, both teams struggled to coordinate their attacks smoothly.

In the 47th minute of the first half, goalkeeper Vozinha backpedaled to catch a header from Mohamed Kanno, following a cross by Saudi Arabia's Abdulelah Al-Amri. It was the only shot on target from either side in the first half.

The total number of shots in the first half remained low, with Cape Verde recording four and Saudi Arabia three.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia faced a setback in the 33rd minute of the first half when central defender Hassan Tambakti had to be replaced by Ali Lajami due to an injury.

Cape Verde’s Kevin Pina, the scorer of the team's first-ever World Cup goal, attempted a surprise left-footed long-range shot in the 5th minute of the second half, but it narrowly missed the goal.

Cape Verde missed a decisive opportunity in the 30th minute of the second half.

During a counterattack, a through ball from Nuno da Costa set up Laros Duarte for a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper inside the penalty area.

However, Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais blocked Duarte's right-footed shot.

Desperate for a goal but unable to create any significant chances, Saudi Arabia saw its final attempt—a right-footed shot by Abdullah Al-Hamdan during second-half stoppage time—safely gathered by Vozinha, marking the end of their tournament run.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)