Deroy and Laros Duarte: "We saw our parents crying, the feeling is hard to describe."

Cape Verdean internationals Deroy Duarte, who plays for Ludogorets, and his brother Laros Duarte, recounted the extraordinary moment they faced off against Spanish prodigy Lamine Yamal and his teammates during their nation's historic World Cup debut. The Duarte brothers revealed they felt no intimidation from Yamal's presence.

While most defenders might be apprehensive at the sight of Yamal warming up, Deroy Duarte stated that his teammates were well-prepared to neutralize the teenage sensation.

“You hear all the fans cheering and you feel from his aura that a serious player is coming,” Deroy told ESPN, adding, “But the first moment he touched the ball, our left-back and left-winger focused on him. And we knew that today he wouldn't do anything.”

For Laros and Deroy Duarte, the 0-0 draw marked a deeply emotional family milestone. Laros started the match and played for about an hour before being substituted by his brother – a change that brought mixed feelings but immense pride.

“It was a bit crazy, as ideally you want to be on the pitch with your brother. From the moment I came off, I became a spectator, and that's when the pressure really starts,” Laros explained, continuing, “On the pitch, you don't really realize it. When the match starts, it's a party.”

The significance of the result was evident on the faces of all Cape Verdean fans in the stands, including the brothers' parents.

“We saw our parents crying. The feeling is hard to describe. It's something you only dream about,” the brothers added, who, despite their confidence, acknowledged the immense quality within the Spanish ranks: “When someone turns or makes a beautiful pass, you truly think, 'this is world-class.'”

The focus of the underdog team was sharpened by the struggles of other smaller nations at the 2026 World Cup, similar to Curaçao, whose team lost 7-1 to Germany the previous evening.

“You realize – that could have been us. But when we started the match, we were solid. I looked at the clock, saw we had been playing for 20 minutes, and things were going well. From that moment, I knew there was really something to be gained,” Laros explained.

The Duarte brothers believe this is just the beginning of Cape Verde's journey in the North American championship, despite everyone who had written them off before the tournament. “We can fight for more. Everyone gave us slim chances, but we've always had the confidence that we can move forward,” Deroy and Laros concluded.