Rotterdam Turns Blue for Cape Verde Despite Heartbreak Against Argentina
A bittersweet evening unfolded in Rotterdam on Thursday as approximately 1,600 Cape Verdean supporters packed into the beer garden at Club Annabel to watch their side go down 3-2 to defending champions Argentina in the World Cup last 32.
According to The Guardian, six members of the Cape Verde squad were born in Rotterdam — the Dutch port city that locals affectionately call the 10th island of Cape Verde — and five of them started against Argentina. The match itself was a rollercoaster. Deroy Duarte equalised after Lionel Messi opened the scoring, Sidny Lopes Cabral curled in a stunning leveller to make it 2-2, but Diney Borges headed Argentina back ahead and that proved the decisive blow.
The defeat stings, but the context makes it remarkable. Cape Verde are the smallest nation to reach the knockout stages of this World Cup, having secured their place in the last 32 with a draw against Saudi Arabia the previous weekend. That result sparked scenes of celebration across Rotterdam, with flags, honking cars and dancing filling the streets of a city that is home to roughly 25,000 Cape Verdeans — known locally as Kriolu.
Watching from the crowd was Jeffry Fortes, a 37-year-old right-back at Dutch second-tier side Den Bosch, who earned 26 caps for Cape Verde before a dispute with the football federation’s board ended his international involvement in 2023. Speaking to The Guardian, Fortes was candid about the mix of emotions: