Known for its crystal-clear waters and white sandy beaches, Cape Verde is set to steal the spotlight for very different reasons this summer. The archipelago of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean is making its football World Cup debut in North America, arriving at the global showpiece as one of 10 African representatives.
Cape Verde's fairytale qualification coincided with the 50th anniversary of independence from Portugal, and the 'Blue Sharks' have the chance to give their fans even more to celebrate as they go toe-to-toe with the best teams in the world.
Cape Verde qualified directly after an excellent performance in the first round of CAF qualifying. They topped a difficult group, alongside Cameroon and Angola, winning eight of their 10 games to punch their first historic ticket to a World Cup. A 100% record in five home games, and not conceding a goal was pivotal to their progress.
With around 600,000 inhabitants and only 4,000 square kilometres of land, Cape Verde is the third-smallest country to qualify for the World Cup after Curacao and Iceland. They have played at four Africa Cup of Nations, with their best result being quarter-finals in 2013 and 2023.
Cape Verde is ranked 69th, the second-lowest-ranked team among the 10 African representatives at the World Cup this year. They are in Group H with Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. All their group matches will be played in the US.
Coach Bubista (full name Pedro Leitao Brito) is a former Cape Verde international who has been in charge for six-and-a-half years. Under his guidance, Cape Verde reached back-to-back AFCON knockouts and qualified for the 2026 World Cup, earning him the CAF Coach of the Year 2025 award.
Forward Dailon Livramento was Cape Verde's top scorer in qualification with four goals. Captain Ryan Mendes, goalkeeper Vozinha and defender Roberto Lopes are other key players. The squad includes players based in Portugal, the Netherlands, and the US.
In March, Cape Verde faced Chile (lost 4-2) and Finland (won 4-2 on penalties after 1-1 draw) in friendlies in New Zealand as part of the FIFA Series.
While Cape Verde may be considered minnows, writing them off would be a mistake. The 'Blue Sharks' have built a reputation as potential giant-killers. As coach Bubista said: "We're a small country, but it's only small on the map… a small country with a big heart".
Source: www.aljazeera.com