Nation dossier · Group H · Out in the Round of 32
Cape Verde
Republic of Cabo Verde
Latest Argentina 3–2 Cape Verde · Round of 32
Knocked out by Argentina · Match 86
Title probability
0.0%
as of 2026-07-20
Overview
Cape Verde arrive at their first-ever World Cup as one of African football's great underdog stories. The Blue Sharks (Tubarões Azuis) have steadily climbed the rankings on the back of a tight-knit diaspora-fuelled squad, finally breaking through to qualify for 2026.
Drawing on players scattered across Portugal, the Netherlands, France and MLS, this is a side punching far above the weight of an archipelago of barely half a million people. Belief is sky-high after a historic qualifying campaign.
No one expects them to lift the trophy, but Cape Verde will travel with the freedom of a team playing entirely with house money.
Capital
Praia
Population
530,000
Confederation
CAF
FIFA code
CPV
From Wikipedia
Cape Verde, also referred in English by its Portuguese name Cabo Verde, and known officially as the Republic of Cabo Verde, is an archipelagic country in the central Atlantic Ocean off the coast of West Africa. It consists of ten volcanic islands with a combined land area of about 4,033 square kilometres (1,557 sq mi).…
Source: Wikipedia →Squad
- 190caps
Vózinha
Chaves · Veteran first-choice goalkeeper
- 1211caps
Márcio Rosa
Montana · Reliable backup option
- 231caps
C.J. dos Santos
San Diego FC
- 261caps
Stopira
Torreense · Long-serving veteran defender
- 332caps
Diney Borges
Al Bataeh · Aggressive overlapping right-back
- 445caps
Roberto Lopes
Shamrock Rovers · Scouted via social media
- 528caps
Logan Costa
Villarreal · La Liga centre-back
- 1311caps
Sidny Lopes Cabral
Benfica
- 2220caps
Steven Moreira
Columbus Crew · Versatile full-back, MLS champion
- 2414caps
Wagner Pina
Trabzonspor
- 256caps
Kelvin Pires
SJK
- 631caps
Kevin Pina
Krasnodar · Energetic box-to-box engine
- 729caps
Jovane Cabral
Estrela Amadora
- 841caps
João Paulo
FCSB · Industrious midfield workhorse
- 1055caps
Jamiro Monteiro
PEC Zwolle · Creative midfield playmaker
- 1161caps
Garry Rodrigues
Apollon Limassol · Experienced winger, 10 goals
- 1433caps
Deroy Duarte
Ludogorets Razgrad · Tidy deep-lying playmaker
- 1520caps
Laros Duarte
Puskás Akadémia · Press-resistant central operator
- 1611caps
Yannick Semedo
Farense
- 1738caps
Willy Semedo
Omonia · Clinical poacher in the box
- 1816caps
Telmo Arcanjo
Vitória de Guimarães · Tricky attacking midfielder
- 219caps
Nuno Da Costa
İstanbul Başakşehir
- 2621caps
Hélio Varela
Maccabi Tel Aviv
- 921caps
Gilson Tavares
Akron Tolyatti · Mobile target striker
- 1922caps
Dailon Rocha Livramento
Casa Pia · Main striker, top scorer 7 goals
- 2096caps
Ryan Mendes
Iğdır · Captain, record caps and goals
Model
as of 2026-07-20Exp. points
3.00
Proj. finish
24.5
Seed Elo
1560
Title-probability trajectory
Champion chance across the last 14 snapshots
Matches
History
2026
Group stage
Culture
Football culture
Football is a unifying passion across the islands, played on dusty pitches and beaches from Santiago to São Vicente. The national team's rise has sparked euphoric celebrations and a powerful sense of pride among a small but fiercely loyal population.
Did you know
- One of the smallest nations by population ever to reach a World Cup.
- The islands were uninhabited until Portuguese settlers arrived in the 15th century.
- Legendary singer Cesária Évora put Cape Verdean music on the world map.
- The diaspora outnumbers the population living on the islands themselves.
- Nicknamed the 'Blue Sharks' after the waters surrounding the archipelago.