Cape Verde Hold Uruguay 2-2, Move Within 3 Points of World Cup Last 32

Q: With goals in back-to-back games, has Maxi Araujo’s World Cup performance justified his rumored $132 million price tag?

Not yet. Maxi Araujo’s World Cup has clearly boosted his profile, but two strong group-stage displays alone do not convincingly justify a rumored A$132 million fee. The case for him is strong on performance. He has scored in back-to-back matches, against Saudi Arabia and now Cape Verde, and he has contributed to all three of Uruguay’s goals in the tournament so far. In a side still searching for consistency, that makes him their standout attacking figure. His broader 2025-26 form at Sporting CP and reported interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid also suggest he is a player with real market momentum. But the price tag remains the sticking point. The searched material indicates his estimated transfer value is far lower, in the roughly €22.6 million to €27.6 million range, and his last move to Sporting cost about €13.6 million. Reports of a possible €25 million Barcelona offer also point to a market valuation nowhere near A$132 million. That makes the release clause look more like a protective contractual figure than a realistic current transfer price. So Araujo is playing like a valuable, rising international attacker and has been one of Uruguay’s best performers in this World Cup. What he has not yet done is produce enough evidence to support a fee of that scale. If he keeps delivering deep into the knockout rounds, that conversation may change, but at this stage the number looks inflated relative to both his market value and sample size.

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 22

Cape Verde stayed unbeaten on their World Cup debut with a 2-2 draw against Uruguay, leaving the 63rd-ranked side level on two Group H points and firmly in knockout contention.
Kevin Pina's 30-yard free-kick and Helio Varela's composed finish earned the point after Cape Verde again matched a traditional power, six days after their shock draw with Spain.
12 shots and four on target underlined how aggressive Cape Verde were in Miami, with 10 attempts coming after halftime as they pushed for a winner rather than settling for the draw.
Saudi Arabia are next on Saturday, and three points would likely be enough to send Cape Verde through under the expanded format, which advances the top two teams plus eight best third-placed sides.
The result made Cape Verde the first World Cup debutants to avoid defeat in their first two matches since Senegal in 2002, strengthening one of the tournament's standout underdog runs.