Florida. Cape Verde's magical start to its first World Cup isn't over. It may just be getting started.

The tiny island nation that stunned tournament favorite Spain last week did it again against Uruguay — a two-time World Cup champion — rallying for a 2-2 draw on Sunday.

Kevin Pina scored on a free kick for Cape Verde's first-ever World Cup goal, and Helio Varela netted the equalizer as one of the biggest surprises of the expanded 48-team tournament moved closer to a possible place in the knockout stage.

"This is something we owe to other smaller national teams — teams that struggled to qualify for a world tournament," Cape Verde coach Pedro Leitão Brito said through an interpreter, adding that his entire squad believes it can continue its historic run and reach the knockout stage.

Cape Verde, which has two points in Group H alongside Uruguay, faces Saudi Arabia in its final group match.

"We're also here to show that a country may be small and may struggle financially," he added, "but if they are resilient, if they can endure struggle, they can also stand shoulder to shoulder with major teams and with players who are on another level."

The group of islands off Africa's west coast has a land area of roughly 4,000 square kilometers (about 1,550 square miles) and a population of about half a million, making Cape Verde the third-smallest nation by population to qualify for the World Cup.

Even as a large contingent of fans at Miami Stadium chanted for Uruguay throughout Sunday's match, Cape Verde's players appeared undaunted.

"Once you're on the pitch, a lot of things become equal," Leitão Brito said.

Cape Verde fans, who celebrated the team's scoreless draw against Spain last week, had even more reason to cheer when Pina split Uruguay's wall and curled a free kick past diving goalkeeper Fernando Muslera for a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute.

Maxi Araújo and Agustín Canobbio scored late in the first half to put Uruguay ahead. But Varela, only minutes after entering the match in the second half, capitalized on a poor pass from Mathías Olivera and caught Muslera far off his line for the equalizing goal and his first international score.

"I had dreamed of this," Varela said in comments distributed by FIFA, "but I never imagined it would happen this way. Scoring my first goal for the national team on my World Cup debut is incredible. I have no words."

Varela celebrated by leaping into his teammates' arms and flexing atop their shoulders as Muslera and several Uruguay players lowered their heads in disappointment.

"The result, I think, was quite deserved," Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said through an interpreter.

Uruguay failed to capitalize on several late opportunities and settled for its second consecutive draw after opening with a 1-1 result against Saudi Arabia. La Celeste will face Spain in its group-stage finale, needing a positive result to keep its hopes of advancing alive.

"The organizational mistakes that were made — the mistakes a squad makes — always fall upon the driver," Bielsa said. "What I mean by that is the head coach. There is no magical recipe to fix them. It goes without saying we paid a very high cost for those mistakes."

It was another memorable moment for Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, who emerged as one of the tournament's breakout stars after his performance against Spain. The 40-year-old had his mother in the stands Sunday after she was unable to attend the opening match because she could not obtain a visa.

The match also marked the first World Cup game featuring two starting goalkeepers aged 40 or older. Muslera, making his 18th World Cup appearance, turned 40 on June 16.

Vozinha waved to the crowd after the final whistle as his teammates ran to a section of Cape Verde supporters, who sang and danced on their way out of the stadium as if celebrating a victory.

"You show up, you believe, and we work very hard as a team," Cape Verde defender Stopira said. "I think the whole world can see that we play well and that we also have quality in this team. Now it's on to the next game and trying to reach the next round."

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