* After shocking favourites Spain in their tournament debut and embarrassing Uruguay, everyone wants to know about the Blue Sharks
* The country is an archipelago with 10 islands, nine of which are inhabited located in the Atlantic Ocean
* It is roughly 600km off the coast of the African continent, with Senegal being its closest neighbour
The Guardian
Cape Verde announced themselves in what was one of the biggest World Cup upsets in recent memory. In their first World Cup game, they stunned Spain to a goalless in a remarkable 0-0 draw. The European champions boast players of the pedigree of Pedri, Lamine Yamal and Rodri, and were marked as one of the favourites going into the tournament.
But they couldn’t get one over the debutants.
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Many chalked it off as a fluke, but the fairytale continued in their second game against Uruguay – ranked 19 in the world – with Cape Verde pulling-off-a-2-2-draw and recording their first World Cup goals.
After making history by qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, they now have the chance to progress to the last 32.
Kevin Pina celebrates after scoring his and Cape Verde’s first World Cup goal in their Group H draw against Uruguay. (Picture credit: AFP/Getty Images)
Where is Cape Verde? that’s the question being asked. The country is an archipelago with 10 islands, nine of which are inhabited. It is located in the Atlantic Ocean roughly 600km off the coast of the African continent, with Senegal being its closest neighbour.
Discovered in the mid-1400s by Genovese and Portuguese explorers, the island was uninhabited until 1464, when the Portuguese settled the then capital of Cidade Velha, using the island as a shipping lane out of Africa and a centre for the trade in enslaved people.
Cape Verde gained its independence from Portugal in 1975. Its population is just over 500,000, making it one of the smallest countries to play at the World Cup, along with Curaçao, with 158,000.
Its largest city is the capital, Praia, estimated to have over 180,000 residents, followed by São Vicente with 88,000.
The capital city, Praia
It is one of the most stable democracies in Africa, according to Australia’s department of foreign affairs, and its economy is reliant on service-based industries, including tourism and foreign investment.
There is a large diaspora community in the US – estimated at 500,000 – which is where all their Group H matches are being played at the 2026 World Cup.
Cape Verde fans gather in Praia to watch the game against Uruguay. (Picture credit: AFP/Getty Images)
Their qualifying campaign got off to a shaky start with a goalless draw with Angola before getting demolished 4-1 by Cameroon. However, they went on to win seven of their remaining eight games to top the group and relegate favourites Cameroon to second place.
When the team qualified, the country’s national director of state protocol, José Maria Silva said: “Independence Day and 13 January 1991 – when the first multiparty elections were held – are the two symbolic dates that have united our people. This World Cup qualification can already be considered the third defining moment of our nation.”
The Blue Sharks are made up of a lot of dual-nationality players assembled by coach Pedro Leitão Brito, known as Bubista. The 26-man squad represents 25 clubs from 14 countries and has more players born in Rotterdam (six) than in Praia (four); overall, there are 11 players born in Cape Verde.
Their star player is the captain, Ryan Mendes, who has played for Lille in France and Nottingham Forest in England before making his way to the UAE and Turkey.
Cape Verde was named by the US government on a list of countries whose citizens must post a returnable bond of US$15,000 to travel to the US, in addition to a visa fee. The high costs prevented the mother of Cape Verde’s star goalkeeper Vozinha, Ana Candida Evora, from attending the tournament, before an intervention by US House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“Cape Verdeans in America and throughout the diaspora have been celebrating the underdog grit and resilience of the Blue Sharks, joined by soccer fans from nations throughout the globe,” Jeffries said last week before the match against Uruguay.
Goalkeeper Vozinha
“It is a privilege to announce that Vozinha’s mom will be able to secure a visa in time to attend their game this Sunday against Uruguay.”
Unbeaten in two games, Cape Verde sit third in Group H with two points, just behind Uruguay on goal difference. Their final group game will be against bottom-placed Saudi Arabia on June 26.
A win against Saudi Arabia will secure them a spot in the knockouts, and a draw may be enough to get through as a third-placed team.—Editing by Maravi Express
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