Who is Kevin Pina?

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JUNE 21: Kevin Pina #6 of Cabo Verde celebrates with teammates after scoring the team&apos;s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match — Kevin Pina supplied Cape Verde an early lead (Image credit: Getty Images)

Cape Verdean midfielder Kevin Pina has etched his name into his country’s and the World Cup’s history books.

The small island nation – a population of around 500,000 people – made an incredible start to their first-ever World Cup appearance, registering a draw against former champions Spain.

Against Uruguay, they went one step further.

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Who is Cape Verdean midfielder Kevin Pina?

Cape Verde's midfielder #06 Kevin Pina celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the 2026 World Cup Group H football match between Uruguay and Cape Verde — The celebrations were wild for Cape Verde's opening goal (Image credit: Getty Images)

The two sides met in Group H at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, with La Celeste the clear favourites, despite the Blue Sharks’ solid start to the competition.

But with 21 minutes gone, it all went wrong for an under-pressure Uruguay boss Marcelo Bielsa.

CAPE VERDE LEAD AT THE WORLD CUP! 😮🇨🇻Kevin Pina's free kick from distance puts the debutants ahead against two-time World Cup winners Uruguay! #FifaWorldCup pic.twitter.com/je1rAcdrvOJune 21, 2026

From 25 yards out, Pina belted home a low free-kick into the bottom corner, fizzing through a Uruguay goal that left plenty to be desired.

That took nothing away from the celebrations though, as Cape Verde’s first-ever World Cup goalscorer Pina wheeled away, fresh from netting the 0.04 xG strike.

It’s not the first time the 29-year-old – who plays his club football with Russian side Krasnodar – has done this either, scoring from a similar distance in open play against Mozambique at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023.

Pina was born in Cape Verde’s capital city, Praia, and started his football career with a team from the island, called Tchadense.

His professional career began with Portuguese outfit Oliveirense, with loans to Anadia and Sertanense, before transferring to another side in the same country, Chaves.

MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - JUNE 21: Kevin Pina of Cabo Verde gestures during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group H match between Uruguay and Cabo Verde at Miami Stadium — Sadly, Uruguay managed to take the lead before the half-time whistle (Image credit: Getty Images)

He stayed there until 2022, before moving to Krasnodar, who won the Russian Premier League in 2024/25, but came runner-up last term.

Pina made his Cape Verde debut in 2022 in a 6-0 win over Liechtenstein, having played for his country’s youth team.

Now, with just his third goal for the Blue Sharks, he’s booked his place in the history books.

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Isaac Stacey Stronge is a freelance football writer working for FourFourTwo, Manchester United and Football League World. He has been a season ticket holder at Stockport County throughout the Hatters’ meteoric rise from the National League North to League One and is a die-hard Paddy Madden fan.