Cape Verde, an archipelago of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean, will make its first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup in 2026, which will be held in North America. The team, nicknamed 'Blue Sharks,' are one of 10 African representatives at the global showpiece.
The historic ticket comes exactly 50 years after Cape Verde gained independence from Portugal. With a population of around 600,000 and an area of just 4,000 km², Cape Verde is the third-smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup, after Curaçao (also making its debut in 2026) and Iceland (which played in 2018).
Road to World Cup 2026
Cape Verde topped Group D in African qualifying, overcoming established names such as Cameroon and Angola. They won eight of their 10 matches, keeping a clean sheet in all five home games. In the final round, Cape Verde secured their spot by beating Eswatini, finishing top of the group with 23 points, four ahead of Cameroon – a side that has played in eight previous World Cups.
Performance in Major Tournaments
Cape Verde have taken part in the Africa Cup of Nations four times, with their best performance being a quarterfinal finish in their debut in 2013 and again in 2023. They narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, being eliminated in the final group match.
FIFA Ranking and Fixtures
Cape Verde are currently ranked 69th in the FIFA World Rankings, the second-lowest of any African team in the 2026 World Cup. In the group stage, they have been drawn in Group H alongside Spain (the 2010 champions and tournament favorites), Uruguay (a former champion), and Saudi Arabia (the team that beat Argentina at the 2022 World Cup). All of Cape Verde's group matches will be played in the United States.
- 15 June: Spain vs Cape Verde – Atlanta Stadium
- 21 June: Uruguay vs Cape Verde – Miami Stadium
- 26 June: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia – Houston Stadium
Coach and Key Players
Head coach Bubista (full name Pedro Leitão Brito) is a former Cape Verde international who earned 21 caps in the early 2000s. He took charge at the start of 2020, guiding the team through successive AFCON knockout appearances before making history in World Cup qualifying. His achievements earned him the African Coach of the Year award for 2025.
Forward Dailon Livramento was the team's top scorer in qualifying with four goals. Captain Ryan Mendes, goalkeeper Vozinha, and defender Roberto Lopes – key figures from the 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign – remain influential. Cape Verde's players are based in countries including Portugal, the Netherlands, and the United States.
Expectations
Although seen as underdogs, Cape Verde are not an easy opponent. In preparation for the tournament, they played friendlies against Chile and New Zealand in March, losing 4-2 to Chile but beating New Zealand on penalties after a 1-1 draw. As coach Bubista put it: 'We are a small country, but only small on the map... a small country with a big heart.'
