Nation dossier · Group H · In contention
Cape Verde
Republic of Cabo Verde
Up next Cape Verde v Saudi Arabia · Group H
Title probability
0.0%
as of 2026-06-25
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
590,000
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
- 145caps
Vozinha
AEL Limassol · Veteran shot-stopper and leader
- 128caps
Marcio Rosa
CD Mafra · Reliable backup option
- 235caps
Bruno Varela
Vitoria Guimaraes · Commanding emerging keeper
- 222caps
Diney Borges
FC Arouca · Aggressive overlapping right-back
- 385caps
Stopira
Fehervar · Long-serving left-back stalwart
- 440caps
Roberto Lopes
Shamrock Rovers · Composed central defender and captain
- 518caps
Logan Costa
Villarreal · Towering modern ball-playing defender
- 1315caps
Steven Moreira
Columbus Crew · Versatile full-back, MLS champion
- 1420caps
Jeffry Fortes
Vizela · Experienced right-side defender
- 1512caps
Kenny Rocha Santos
Hapoel Be'er Sheva · Tough-tackling defensive presence
- 166caps
Dylan Tavares
Estoril · Promising young full-back
- 617caps
Deroy Duarte
Sparta Rotterdam · Tidy deep-lying playmaker
- 824caps
Kevin Pina
Gil Vicente · Energetic box-to-box engine
- 1030caps
Jamiro Monteiro
San Jose Earthquakes · Creative midfield orchestrator
- 1711caps
Joao Paulo
Seattle Sounders · Industrious midfield workhorse
- 1814caps
Laros Duarte
FC Twente · Press-resistant central operator
- 2028caps
Patrick Andrade
Aris Limassol · Goal-threatening midfield runner
- 219caps
Telmo Arcanjo
Vitoria Guimaraes · Tricky attacking midfielder
- 758caps
Ryan Mendes
Al-Wakrah · Veteran captain and talisman
- 913caps
Gilson Tavares
AVS · Mobile target striker
- 1135caps
Garry Rodrigues
PAOK · Pacey direct wing threat
- 1916caps
Bebe
Rayo Vallecano · Powerful experienced wide forward
- 2210caps
Willy Semedo
Pacos de Ferreira · Clinical poacher in the box
Model
as of 2026-06-25Exp. points
3.22
Proj. finish
30.4
Seed Elo
1560
Title-probability trajectory
Champion chance across the last 14 snapshots
Matches
History
2022
Did not qualify / 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.