Group H · Matchday 2

Cape VerdevsUruguay

2026-06-21·18:00 localPredictions finalised

Snapshot · 2026-07-14Model 1.0.0Final prediction · locked 21 Jun, 19:05 UTCCape Verde·Uruguay·Head-to-head →·
Full time · forecast gradedCape Verde 2 2 UruguayThe locked pre-match forecast has been graded against this result.See the calibration recap →

The forecast

Match-outcome probability

  • Cape Verde win
    10.9%
  • Draw
    27.1%
  • Uruguay win
    62.0%

A 343-point Elo gap frames this as a significant mismatch, yet the model still gives Cape Verde a 6% probability of a result — enough to make this more than a formality.

Rank checkFIFA ranks Cape Verde #68 in the world; the model ranks them #36 in this tournament field, 32 places higher than the FIFA list suggests. All 48 compared →
Likeliest score0–119.6%
First goal0-15'29.1%
Both teams score30.6%
Over 2.5 goals34.0%
Top scorerNúñez5.5%
Expected goals0.5 - 1.6
Loading pitch visualisation...

Why the model says this

Favoring Uruguay

  • ·Elo advantage of 343 points over Cape Verde
  • ·Expected goals 1.79 vs 0.50

What the model can't fully price

  • ·Squad availability: 6 carrying a fitness doubt across the two squads, 4 of them projected starters. The forecast does not adjust for who is missing: its lineup channel currently contributes zero, so this is context the probabilities do not include.

Form check

Cape Verde

Steady

Cape Verde: 1W-4D-1L in their last 6 internationals.

1W-4D-1L in last 6

Uruguay

Steady

Uruguay: 2W-3D-1L in their last 6 internationals.

2W-3D-1L in last 6

Analysis

How it plays out

Cape Verde press high and force the tempo. Uruguay's balanced setup needs to absorb that pressure early and find the right moments to play forward.

What decides it

Cape Verde press high (PPDA 17.2). If the press doesn't win the ball early, the space behind their back line becomes exposed. The scoring threat is evenly split: Nuno da Costa (5.4%) and Darwin Núñez (5.5%).

Off the pitch

Bubista (6 years in charge of Cape Verde) vs Marcelo Bielsa (3 years). That tenure gap shows up in squad familiarity and set-piece coordination.

The angle

The model gives Cape Verde just 10.9% to win. Every World Cup produces group-stage upsets; the question is whether this fixture is one of them.

Goals & scorelines

Likeliest score 0–1 (19.6%) · xG 0.5 - 1.6

Expected goals

Cape Verde
0.47
Uruguay
1.59

Mean of the Dixon-Coles joint goal distribution. Same fit that produces the most-likely-scoreline list below.

Most likely scorelines

  • 0–1
    19.6%
  • 0–2
    16.0%
  • 0–0
    13.3%
  • 1–1
    10.2%
  • 0–3
    8.5%

From the Dixon-Coles joint Poisson with the low-score correction. Scorelines are listed in probability order; this is a description of the model's distribution, not a recommendation.

Most likely half-time scorelines

  • 0–0
    36.0%
  • 0–1
    27.9%
  • 0–2
    11.3%
  • 1–0
    8.0%
  • 1–1
    7.1%

Same Dixon-Coles fit as the full-time list above, with rates halved to a 45-minute window and the low-score correction applied to that 1st-half block. The 0-0 row sits higher here than at full-time because fewer minutes have elapsed.

Goal totals

  • More than 0.5 goals
    86.7%
  • More than 1.5 goals
    61.7%
  • More than 2.5 goals
    34.0%
  • More than 3.5 goals
    15.4%
  • More than 4.5 goals
    5.9%
  • More than 5.5 goals
    1.9%
  • Both teams score
    30.6%

Each row is the probability the match finishes with more than the listed number of goals. Both-teams-to-score is the probability each side scores at least once. All values are marginals of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid that produces the scoreline list above — not market lines or any other operator construct.

Event-typed probabilities

  • Cape Verde clean sheetOpposing team scores zero20.4%
  • Uruguay clean sheetOpposing team scores zero62.3%

Derived from the same Dixon-Coles joint distribution as the scoreline list. These are descriptive event probabilities — see CLAUDE.md §3/§4 (formerly COMPLIANCE.md §4.2.7) for the framing the project uses.

Win-margin probability

  • Cape Verde by 4+
    <0.1%
  • Cape Verde by 3+
    0.3%
  • Cape Verde by 2+
    2.1%
  • Cape Verde by 1+
    10.1%
  • Draw
    25.4%
  • Uruguay by 1+
    64.5%
  • Uruguay by 2+
    36.2%
  • Uruguay by 3+
    15.8%
  • Uruguay by 4+
    5.5%

Each row is the probability the match ends with the listed margin or larger in that direction. Marginal of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid; the “by 1+” rows plus the draw row sum to 1.

How the match unfolds

Over 2.5 goals 34.0% · BTTS 30.6%

Game state through the match

0%25%50%75%100%0'15'30'45'60'75'90'
  • Cape Verde ahead10.7%
  • Level24.2%
  • Uruguay ahead65.0%

Probability of each game state at minutes 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 — derived from two independent thinned-Poisson processes with the Dixon-Coles per-team rates. The three lines always sum to 1 at each minute. The right column shows the state at the match's closing minute.

When the first goal arrives

  • 0–15
    29.1%
  • 15–30
    20.6%
  • 30–45
    14.6%
  • 45–60
    10.4%
  • 60–75
    7.3%
  • 75–90
    5.2%
  • No goal
    12.7%

Probability the match's first goal arrives in each 15-minute window. Homogeneous Poisson with combined rate λ = λh + λa from the Dixon-Coles fit; the seven rows (six windows + no-goal tail) sum to 1.

Half-time / full-time grid

Joint probability of half-time and full-time results
HT ↓ / FT →HCape Verde winDDrawAUruguay win
HCape Verde ahead5.7%2.9%1.4%
DLevel4.5%18.6%20.4%
AUruguay ahead0.4%3.0%43.1%

Each cell is P(half-time result, full-time result). All nine cells sum to 1. Derived from a halved-λ Dixon-Coles fit for the first half plus an independent-Poisson second-half convolution.

Comeback probability

  • Cape Verde trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT
    3.3%
  • Uruguay trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT
    4.3%

Joint probability — P(side trailing at half-time AND avoiding defeat at full-time). NOT conditional on trailing at HT. Derived from the same half-time / full-time decomposition that produces the HT/FT grid above; a tied first half is neither a home nor an away comeback opportunity.

Cards

  • Expected yellow cardsMean of the Poisson on total yellow cards.3.45
  • Total yellows over 2.567.0%
  • Total yellows over 3.545.3%
  • Total yellows over 4.526.5%
  • Any red cardP(at least one red card in the match).9.5%

Referee not yet assigned. Using the 2026 pool-mean per-match rate as a placeholder; the model picks up the referee's personal rate once the assignment is published. Total yellow cards modelled as a Poisson with mean equal to two team baselines plus the referee's deviation from the pool mean. Reds are modelled the same way, independently. See /docs/methodology/.

Teams & players

Top scorer: Núñez (5.5%)

Match detail

Cape Verde

Model-rated key players: Nuno da Costa (FW) — P(scores) 5.5%; Dailon Livramento (FW) — P(scores) 3.4%; Ryan Mendes (FW) — P(scores) 3.4%.

How they play

Cape Verde under Bubista play a high press game with 53% possession. They apply moderate pressing intensity (PPDA 17.2) and move the ball forward quickly at 5.7 passes per attack. They generate a high volume of shots (13.2 per 90).

What they must execute

Cape Verde need their high press to force turnovers in dangerous areas — if opponents can play through the press, the space left behind is vulnerable. Physical conditioning and squad rotation will be critical to sustain pressing intensity across a long tournament.

Storylines
Model bold: Model rates them #47 by tournament-winner probability — 21 places higher than FIFA #68.
Veteran #1: Vozinha40 at kickoff with 85 caps — last World Cup for the #1.
Local-league core: Only 3 of 25 predicted-squad players played in a top-5 European league last season — the rest play home or in non-top-5 leagues.

Uruguay

Model-rated key players: Darwin Núñez (FW) — P(scores) 5.5%; Brian Rodríguez (FW) — P(scores) 2.7%; Rodrigo Aguirre (FW) — P(scores) 2.6%.

How they play

Uruguay under Marcelo Bielsa play a balanced game with 49% possession. Their likely shape is a 3-5-2, though they have also used 4-3-3 and 4-4-2. They apply moderate pressing intensity (PPDA 18.0) and move the ball forward quickly at 5.7 passes per attack.

What they must execute

Uruguay will need to leverage their strengths while managing the physical demands of a tournament spread across three host countries.

Storylines
Veteran #1: Fernando Muslera39 at kickoff with 134 caps — last World Cup for the #1.
Top scorer: Darwin NúñezModel's top anytime-scorer for the team — 22% probability of scoring at least once, rank #23 of all players.
Heat schedule: 2 group-stage matches at venues averaging 26°C+ — Miami, Miami (peak 27.0°C average).
Set-piece outlook

Cape Verde historically converts 16.1% of xG from set-pieces, contributing 0.08 expected set-piece goals in this fixture. Uruguay converts 15.4% from set-pieces (0.24 expected). Combined, the model expects 0.32 set-piece goals across the 90 minutes.

  • P(Cape Verde scores set-piece goal) 7.3%
  • P(Uruguay scores set-piece goal) 21.7%
  • P(set-piece goal in match) 27.5%

Uruguay: Nahitan Nández on corners (5 corners), Lucas Torreira on free kicks (per fbref 2021 22)

Penalty outlook

If a penalty is awarded to Cape Verde, the model gives 72.0% conversion, 73.3% for Uruguay.

Cape Verde primary PK: Nuno da Costa (1/1 in 2018-19, per fbref 2018 19).

Derived from the model's per-fixture forecast joint and supporting reference data (predicted squads, set-piece xG share, PK posteriors, club minutes). See /docs/methodology/ for the full methodology.

Tactical forecast

Cape Verdehigh-press
PPDA
17.2
Possession
53%
Directness (yds/pass)
6.6
Long balls/90
37
Set-piece xG
16%
Uruguaybalanced
PPDA
18.0
Possession
49%
Directness (yds/pass)
7.6
Long balls/90
35
Set-piece xG
15%

Style profile per side from StatsBomb open-data aggregation across recent international tournaments (Euro 2020/2024, Copa America 2024, AFCON 2023, World Cup 2018/2022). The tactical-fingerprint badge maps each team’s observed style vector into one of eight canonical archetypes via a rule-based classifier; teams with fewer than three matches of qualifying coverage carry an “insufficient-data” label rather than being forced into a default. Sides outside the StatsBomb-open corpus use FotMob team match stats from recent qualifiers and friendlies instead (possession and shot volume only), marked as partial coverage. PPDA = passes the side allows per defensive action (lower = more intense press). Formation distributions are not yet produced — that head of the §2.7 classifier is pending its own data pull. See /docs/methodology/.

Squad depth

Most irreplaceable starters

Cape Verde

  1. Logan CostaCentre-backCover: Diney · 0.360.41gap
  2. Kevin PinaDefensive midfieldCover: Laros Duarte · 0.280.25gap
  3. Jamiro MonteiroCentral midfieldCover: Yannick Semedo · 0.130.24gap

Uruguay

  1. Nicolás de la CruzCentral midfieldNo natural backup0.53gap
  2. Darwin NúñezStrikerCover: Agustín Álvarez · 0.520.46gap
  3. Federico ValverdeCentral midfieldNo natural backup0.45gap

Gap = how far a side's rating at the position falls from the starter to his likely in-squad replacement (named under each name). Larger = harder to replace. Descriptive metric, does not feed the published probabilities. Methodology →

Match conditions

  • AltitudeNear sea level3 m
  • Avg temperatureFive-year mean over the tournament window27.0 °C
  • Avg humidity82%
  • Heat stressShade WBGT ~30.7 °CHigh heat stress
  • Pitch surfacenatural grass

Already plays on natural Bermudagrass; no turf conversion needed.

Heat stress is a shade Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature proxy from the venue's climatology mean temperature and humidity; FIFA mandates cooling breaks at WBGT 32 °C. Evening kickoff (local time). These are long-window averages, not a match-day forecast, and they are not inputs to the forecast.

Top scorers · P(scores in this match)

Cape Verde
Uruguay

Per-player scoring rate from Model #5 (`p_score_per_match`). Reflects each player's npxG/90, expected minutes, team xG share, and the average opposing-team defence. See /docs/methodology/.

Recent match form

Last match player ratings

Cape Verde

vs Argentina · avg 7.0

9
VozinhaGK
ATK
DEF
PAS
8
Sidny Lopes CabralCM
ATK
DEF
PAS
7
Deroy DuarteCM
ATK
DEF
PAS
4
Pico LopesCB
ATK
DEF
PAS

Uruguay

vs Spain · avg 8.5

9
Alexander SchlagerGK
ATK
DEF
PAS
8
Nicolás de la CruzAM
ATK
DEF
PAS

Player scores from official highlight analysis of each team's most recent match. Observational, not a model input. Methodology →

Video analysis: player performance

Per-player ratings and event breakdowns from official highlights analysis. Tap a player to see their full match timeline.

Cape Verde
9
Cabo Verde Player #1384'–84'

Scored two crucial goals, including a header and a composed chip, leading his team's comeback.

2goals

Match timeline

84'Cabo Verde's player number 13 scored his second goal with a chipped shot, levelling the score once more.
Uruguay
8
Luis Suarez75'–75'

Scored a spectacular opening goal with clinical finishing, providing a moment of individual brilliance.

1goals

Match timeline

75'Uruguay's Luis Suarez (number 9) scored with a powerful shot into the top corner, breaking the deadlock.
8
Uruguay Player #9

Scored a vital goal with good close control and a precise finish, briefly restoring his team's lead.

1goals

Match timeline

Match observations

  • The match was an exciting, high-scoring contest between Uruguay and Cabo Verde, featuring dramatic swings in momentum.
  • Both teams showed strong attacking intent, leading to multiple goals and an engaging spectacle for the fans.
  • The atmosphere in the stadium was vibrant, with fans reacting enthusiastically to each goal scored.

Under the hood

Model-by-model comparison

Cape Verde vs Uruguay

Moderate (9.4%)
ModelWeightHomeDrawAway
EloRating-based strength estimate32%
6.0%
22.0%
72.0%
Dixon-ColesGoal-process model with low-score correction63%
10.1%
25.4%
64.5%
Hierarchical PoissonBayesian model with confederation pooling6%
11.6%
25.8%
62.6%
Bayesian stackingLearned-weight combination
3.3%
22.0%
74.8%
Ensemble (published)Uniform average + isotonic calibration
5.9%
26.0%
68.1%
Home spread: 5.6%
Draw spread: 3.8%
Away spread: 9.4%
How each model works
Elo
Each team carries a single strength rating updated after every match by a margin-aware K-factor. Match probabilities come from the logistic function of the rating gap. Elo is fast-adapting but coarse — it sees only who won and by how much, not how the goals were scored.
Dixon-Coles
A Poisson regression on team-level attack and defence parameters, fitted via maximum likelihood with an exponential time-decay weighting. The Dixon-Coles correction adjusts the four low-score cells (0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1) where independent Poisson underestimates dependence. Produces full scoreline distributions, not just H/D/A.
Hierarchical Poisson
A Bayesian Poisson model fitted via MCMC (PyMC) with hierarchical priors that pool attack and defence parameters within confederations. Shrinks small-sample teams toward their confederation mean — helpful for nations with few recent competitive fixtures. Slower to fit but better-calibrated on the tails.
Bayesian stacking
Optimises simplex weights (w_elo, w_dc, w_hp) to maximise the leave-one-out log-score across a walk-forward backtest (Yao et al. 2018). The result is a weighted average of the three component models' probabilities, then isotonic-calibrated. Adds no extra features — just learns which component to trust more from historical accuracy.
Ensemble (published)
Equal-weight average of all three component models, followed by per-class isotonic regression calibration fitted on 24 months of walk-forward out-of-fold predictions. This is the probability published on the site. The uniform mean is deliberately simple — it avoids overfitting to the stacking weights' training window.

Three independent component models feed two combination strategies. The uniform ensemble is the published probability; Bayesian stacking uses learned weights. Amber bars flag >5pp divergence from the published number. Full methodology

Probability decomposition (transparency surface)

  • Baseline ensemble — P(Cape Verde win)6.7%
  • + Lineup contribution0.0pp
  • + Style-matchup contribution0.0pp
  • Published P(Cape Verde win)6.7%
Cape Verde
6.7%
Draw
23.2%
Uruguay
70.1%

Decomposition of the published P(Cape Verde win) into the calibrated- baseline plus contributions from the §2.3 expected-XI lineup delta and the §2.7 style-matchup interaction. The §2.7 roadmap is explicit that style effects are second-order to team strength — single-digit-percentage P(win) shifts on extreme style matchups, near-zero on balanced ones. We surface the decomposition for transparency even when the contributions are small; the baseline carries the prediction. Methodology: /docs/methodology.

For this fixture both contributions round to under 0.05pp — the fitted style-matchup pair effect is in the small-magnitude regime the model expects to dominate.

Head-to-head history

DateCompetitionVenueScoreResultxG
21 Jun 2026FIFA World CupNMiami Gardens22D

Cape Verde vs Uruguay, every senior international meeting in the martj42 results dataset (score from Cape Verde's perspective; H/A/N = home/away/neutral).

Latest news & match context

Team news

No recent headlines for Cape Verde or Uruguay.

Match conditions
Stage:
Group H · Matchday 2
Date:
21 Jun
Beyond the model

Ranked by likely importance. None of these feed the forecast: the probabilities rest on team strength, venue conditions and the style matchup.

  1. 1.Squad availability: 1 carrying a fitness doubt across the two squads, 1 of them projected starters. The forecast does not adjust for who is missing: its lineup channel currently contributes zero, so this is context the probabilities do not include.
Availability

Cape Verde

Cape Verde come in at close to full strength.

Uruguay

Uruguay: 1 carrying a fitness doubt.

  • DoubtGiorgian de Arrascaeta, the second-choice midfielder, is recovering from Muscle injury and is a fitness watch item; if unavailable the projected XI shifts.
What it means

Availability runs in Cape Verde's favour here: Uruguay are managing a fitness concern over Giorgian de Arrascaeta, while Cape Verde's projected XI looks intact.

Availability from the predicted squads and injury feed; forecast adjustments from the model's own decomposition. See /docs/methodology/.

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