World Cup honorary third place? Cape Verde's achievement is truly impressive! They are the only team that didn't lose to the finalists within 90 minutes this tournament.

On July 16, Beijing time, the World Cup final matchups were confirmed. Spain and Argentina reached the final by defeating France and England respectively.

As Spain and Argentina face off, Cape Verde, an African island nation with a population of 540,000, has become a hot topic among fans. They are the only team in this World Cup that did not lose to either the champion or the runner-up within 90 minutes.

In this World Cup, Argentina failed to beat two teams within 90 minutes: Cape Verde (round of 16, 1-1 in 90 minutes, eventually Argentina won 3-2 in extra time) and Switzerland (quarterfinal, 1-1 in 90 minutes, eventually Argentina won 3-1 in extra time).

Judging by the scoreline, Cape Verde seemed to be the toughest challenge Argentina faced on their way to the final. Trailing twice and equalizing twice, Cape Verde once pushed the defending champions to the brink.

Spain also failed to defeat only one team in this World Cup: Cape Verde. In their opening group match, Spain fired 27 shots but were held to a surprising 0-0 draw by Cape Verde.

In both matches, Cape Verde's stubborn defense left Spain and Argentina feeling frustrated at times.

Despite being a World Cup debutant, Cape Verde earned the respect of fans worldwide by performing so well against the eventual champion and runner-up.

Sports commentator Huang Jianxiang also praised Cape Verde on social media, saying: "Cape Verde, honorary third place in this World Cup."