Cabo Verde will head to the FIFA World Cup 2026 with one of the more impressive stories from the expanded 48-team qualification campaign.
One of four debutants alongside Jordan, Curaçao and Uzbekistan, the West African nation sealed its place on the final day of African qualifying with a 3-0 win over Eswatini in Praia.
The country was effectively half-closed for business, with many given time off to watch a match staged at a national stadium that holds just 8,000 spectators.
By global standards it was a modest crowd, but it represented a nation of just over half a million people. Cabo Verde are the third smallest country by population ever to qualify for a World Cup, behind fellow debutants Curaçao, and Iceland, who reached the finals in 2018.
The achievement comes despite a more difficult recent past in continental competition. They failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, finishing bottom of their qualifying group.
Yet the broader trajectory under head coach Pedro “Bubista” Brito, appointed in 2020, has been upward.
The Blue Sharks have qualified for four of the past six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and reached the quarter-finals twice, establishing themselves as a consistent presence on the continental stage.
Their FIFA World Cup qualification campaign was built on efficiency rather than spectacle. Cabo Verde scored 16 goals in 10 matches, the lowest tally among the African teams that qualified, but they made each of them count, with three of their seven victories ending 1-0. Three of their seven wins came by a single goal.
They finished top of Group D with 23 points, ahead of Cameroon, Africa’s most experienced World Cup side with eight appearances, as well as Angola.
The squad reflects the country’s global diaspora, with players based across 14 different countries. All 11 starters in their decisive qualifier against Eswatini were foreign-based.
Among the key figures was 24-year-old forward Dailon Rocha Livramento, who finished as their top scorer in qualifying with four goals.
Expectations heading into the tournament are understandably modest. Their absence from AFCON 2025 has limited competitive match practice since securing qualification in October, with two warm-up fixtures against Iraq and Egypt in early 2026 both ending in defeat.
They face a testing Group H, opening against European champions and tournament favourites Spain , before taking on seasoned World Cup campaigners Uruguay.
Their group stage concludes with a meeting against Saudi Arabia.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/africa-fifa-world-cup-2026-cabo-verde-blue-sharks-chase-fairytale-debut
