2026 FIFA World Cup: Cape Verde prepare for historic debut in tough Group H

Cape Verde will share the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group H with Spain, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, marking a historic moment for a nation stepping onto football’s biggest stage for the very first time.

The Blue Sharks (Tubarões Azuis) arrive as one of Africa’s nine automatic qualifiers, a remarkable feat for a country of about 525,000 people spread across a small Atlantic archipelago.

Before 2026, Cape Verde had never reached the World Cup. Their early attempts ended quietly, but steady progress in African football highlighted by AFCON quarter-final runs in 2013 and 2023, showed a team growing in confidence and identity.

Their qualification journey turned ordinary matches into unforgettable moments. Sidny Cabral’s long-range strike against Libya in September 2025, a 50-yard effort deep into stoppage time, kept their unbeaten run alive and went viral worldwide. Earlier in March, Dailon Livramento’s brace inspired a 4-2 victory over Cameroon, lifting Cape Verde to the top of Group D. And on October 13, 2025, a 3-0 win over Eswatini sealed qualification, sparking wild celebrations in Praia. President José Maria Neves called it “a new independence.”

Led by coach Pedro “Bubista” Brito, the Blue Sharks topped their qualifiers with 7 wins, 2 draws and 23 goals scored, a story of belief, grit and national pride.