Cape Verde qualify for the World Cup! Island nation off the coast of Africa becomes the second smallest country ever to reach global showpiece

In one of the most incredible stories of World Cup qualifying, the tiny island nation, which is off the west coast of Africa, have confirmed their progression to next summer's tournament. Managed by Pedro Leitão Brito, known as Bubista, Cape Verde beat Eswatini 3-0 on Monday, in a game that was watched by almost the entire nation; the national government allowed all workers a half-day, meaning they could pack into the stadium, and crowd around televisions, to watch on. They subsequently become the second-smallest nation ever to qualify for a World Cup. Iceland remain the smallest after playing at the 2018 tournament, failing to progress from the group stage.

Goals from Dailon Rocha Livramento and Willy Semedo had Cape Verdeans dancing in the stands, before Stopira added a third in injury time to seal a joyous victory, with the president in attendance. 

Cape Verde, known as the Blue Sharks, sit 70th in the current FIFA world rankings, notably behind the likes of Burkina Faso, the United Arab Emirates, Albania, and North Macedonia. Nevertheless, they will play at the World Cup for the first time in their history. They have finished top of Group D in African qualifying, finishing four points ahead of regular continental heavyweights Cameroon, who simultaneously drew 0-0 with Angola on Monday. The Blue Sharks tied 3-3 with Libya last week in a game that could have sealed qualification, but managed to get over the line this time. 

Roberto Lopes said: "Traditionally, it's been difficult to qualify for the World Cup, especially in Africa where you had to finish first [in your group] to have a chance. This time, if you finish first, you're in. The motivation to be first and hold on to that has been crucial."

Perhaps Cape Verde's most famous player is the former Manchester United forward Bebe. The 35-year-old played (not much!) for the Red Devils between 2010 and 2012, with a total of seven first-team appearances for the club. He is now on the books at UD Ibiza in the Spanish third division, making 24 appearances and scoring eight goals for the club in total. He will hope a final career swansong comes, although his last call-up was back in November 2024. Logan Costa is the only player in the Cape Verde squad who plays in Europe's top five leagues, doing so for Villarreal. 

There have been two other first-time qualifiers thus far for the expanded 2026 tournament, which will feature 48 teams: Uzbekistan and Jordan are also going to be World Cup debutants. Cape Verde join Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and Ghana in sealing an African qualifying spot for next year's finals, with three more nations set to join them. Cameroon, Africa's major heavyweights, now face the jeopardy of another round, meaning their qualification is up in the air, as they will first have to navigate the CAF play-offs before entering an inter-continental play-off. 

It is fair to say that most Cabo Verdean residents, in the capital Praia and elsewhere, will not be going to bed until the wee hours of the morning as they celebrate an all-time achievement from their football heroes. It remains to be seen if they can make an impact at the tournament itself, but they will aim to, at the very least, compete amongst the very best. Potential clashes with the likes of Brazil, Argentina, England and France will have mouths watering in the African nation, as they bid to pull off some major scalps. There is no harm in dreaming, after all.