Piers Morgan has faced a wave of criticism on social media after admitting he had never heard of Cape Verde before their participation in the 2026 World Cup. The African island nation made their tournament debut and captured global attention with a series of resilient performances, including a shock 0-0 draw against Spain in their opening group match. They also secured draws with Uruguay and Saudi Arabia to finish second in Group H, setting up a round of 32 clash with defending champions Argentina.
Morgan's Admission Sparks Outrage
Following Cape Verde's narrow 3-2 extra-time defeat to Argentina, Morgan took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise the team. He wrote: "I'd never heard of Cape Verde before this World Cup, now I will never forget them. Congrats to the whole squad, and especially the 40yr-old goalkeeper @vozinhapr whose heroics earned him 20m followers on Instagram. Fabulous story."
The admission quickly drew backlash from users who questioned his knowledge as a journalist and sports commentator. One user responded: "Seriously?? Cape Verde is a holiday & wedding destination." Another added: "You've never heard of Cape Verde yet you are a journalist. A sports enthusiast. Speaks lots about you."
Criticism from Fellow Journalists
Several social media users expressed disbelief that Morgan, a prominent broadcaster, was unaware of the nation. One comment read: "You're a journalist and never heard of Cape Verde??" Another stated: "Coming from a broadcaster/ journalist and whatever else, your first sentence is very disappointing." A fifth user highlighted Cape Verde's past football achievements, noting: "Well, I had known them the first time they played and drew against Ronaldo's Portugal and then beat Portugal in their second attempt."
Morgan responded to the criticism with a post saying: "So many Cape Verde 'experts' on here today," accompanied by two laughing emojis. The user he replied to fired back: "Don't have to be an expert, just follow world football competitions and you'd have heard of them."
Cape Verde's World Cup Journey
Cape Verde, with a population of approximately 500,000, was the second smallest nation at the tournament by population, behind only Curacao (158,000), who were eliminated in the group stage. Despite their underdog status, Cape Verde's performances won widespread admiration. They came from behind twice against Argentina—first in normal time to force extra time, and again in extra time to level at 2-2—before conceding an own goal in the second half of extra time to lose 3-2.
The team's goalkeeper, Vozinha, aged 40, became a social media sensation, gaining 20 million Instagram followers during the tournament. Morgan's comments, while intended as praise, ignited a debate about the visibility of smaller football nations and the expectations placed on journalists covering the sport.
