Several smaller World Cup nations are drawing attention after producing results against established teams, illustrating how FIFA’s expanded 48-team format is playing out on the field. Cape Verde, a country with a population of under 600,000, is highlighted for holding Spain and Uruguay to draws. The performances are presented as evidence that disciplined, well-organized play can limit traditionally stronger opponents and create competitive matches at the tournament level. The reporting links these outcomes to the broader question of whether expanding the World Cup would dilute quality. Instead, the cited results are used to argue that lesser-ranked teams can still contend effectively in group-stage games. Overall coverage emphasizes defensive structure and match management as recurring themes in these upsets or near-upsets, with Cape Verde serving as a key example. Across the accounts, the central claim is that results by smaller nations support FIFA’s decision to increase the number of participating teams to 48, reinforcing the tournament’s competitiveness.