Cape Verde qualified for the World Cup for the first time ever. Image by Getty Images via SuperSport
(The Post News)- Talk about a dream come true for the archipelago nation of Cape Verde pulling an incredible qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
They secured their first-ever tickets to the finals in North America by beating Eswatini 3-0 in their final group D match on Monday. It was huge moment, especially since they topped their group ahead of a powerhouse like Cameroon, who holds the record for the most African World Cup.
After controlling much of the first half of their 2026 World Cup qualifier but rarely posing a real goal threat, Cape Verde broke through early in the second half, scoring twice within nine minutes through Dailon Livramento and Willy Semedo in front of a lively 15,000-strong crowd in Praia.
Villarreal defender Logan Costa is the only Cape Verdean currently playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues. The rest of the national team is made up of players competing in Portugal, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Hungary, Bulgaria, Russia, Finland, the Republic of Ireland, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Team captain Ryan Mendes, who plays for Turkish side Kocaelispor, holds the national record with 21 goals in 85 appearances. Former Manchester United player Bebe is now on the books of Spanish third-tier club Ibiza.
Along with tournament co-hosts the United States, Canada, and Mexico, 15 other teams had already secured their places for next year’s World Cup before the October international window. Cape Verde became the third debutant nation to qualify, joining Uzbekistan and Jordan.
The Blue Sharks have featured in four of the last seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, reaching the quarterfinals in 2013 and 2023, though they failed to qualify for the upcoming edition in Morocco.
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