Cape Verde secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup, making them Africa’s only newcomer team for the tournament and the third smallest nation in history to qualify, with a population of around 600,000 [1, 2].
The team’s squad features mainly players from the Cape Verdean diaspora living in Europe, including Portugal, France, and the Netherlands [1, 2]. Managed by Bubista, who was named African Coach of the Year in 2025, the team has risen significantly in recent years [1, 2]. Bubista said, "We've always been aware of our talent but we haven't always believed that it could take us much further than we had achieved up to that point. Therefore, it took courage to face any opponent. The first step in our success was truly believing in our potential." [1]
Cape Verde will face Spain on June 15, Uruguay on June 21, and Saudi Arabia on June 26 in the group stage of the World Cup [1, 2]. This marks a milestone for a country that two decades ago played very little international football, averaging only two matches annually after joining FIFA in 1986 and first entering World Cup qualifiers in 1990, when they were ranked 182nd in the world [1, 2].
The team has previously made strong showings in the Africa Cup of Nations, reaching the quarter-finals in their debut year 2013 and again in 2023, when they were eliminated on penalties [1, 2]. They narrowly missed the 2014 World Cup after being penalized for fielding an ineligible player [1, 2].
In their 2026 qualifying group, Cape Verde finished ahead of Cameroon, which holds the record for most African World Cup appearances with eight, underlining their rapid progress [1, 2].
Cape Verde’s opening match against Spain is scheduled for June 15, marking their debut on football’s biggest stage [1, 2].