Cape Verde Fans Shrug Off 1-in-20 World Cup Odds Against Argentina
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 3
Cape Verde Fans Shrug Off 1-in-20 World Cup Odds Against Argentina
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 3
Summary
Praia residents showed little anxiety before Friday’s World Cup match, backing Cape Verde despite facing defending champion Argentina.
A supercomputer gave Cape Verde just a 1-in-20 chance of winning, and Argentina arrive led by Lionel Messi, who held the World Cup goals record as of Friday morning.
For the archipelago of about 500,000 people, that mismatch has not shaken a local “No Stress” ethos seen on shirts, in songs and across neighborhood graffiti.
A Cape Verde win would rank among the tournament’s biggest upsets, making it one of only a handful of African teams to reach that stage and the smallest nation ever to do so.