WASHINGTON, June 27. /TASS/. The Cape Verde national team is the first team of the 21st century to advance to the FIFA World Cup playoffs without winning a single match in the group stage.

The last time this happened at the World Cup was in 1998. At that time, the Chilean national team tied in their group with Italy (2-2), Austria (1-1), and Cameroon (1-1) before losing to Brazil (1-4) in the round of 16.

Earlier, TASS reported that Cape Verde tied with Saudi Arabia (0-0) and finished second in Group H with three points. During the group stage, they also tied with Spain (0-0) and Uruguay (2-2). In the round of 16, Cape Verde will face the defending champion, Argentina.

The FIFA World Cup is being held in the US, Canada, and Mexico. This year's tournament features 48 teams for the first time and will conclude on July 19.