Cape Verde at the FIFA World Cup

Cape Verde facing Uruguay at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Cape Verde appeared in their first FIFA World Cup in 2026. In their debut match against Spain, they drew 0–0, earning their first point in World Cup history.[1]

On 13 October 2025, they qualified for the World Cup for the first time after a 3–0 victory over Eswatini.[2][3] At the time of their qualification, Cape Verde was noted as the smallest country by land area and the second-least-populated country to qualify for the World Cup, with a land area of 4,033 square kilometres (1,557 sq mi) and a population of just under 525,000.[4][5] However, after the qualification of Curaçao's team a month later, Cape Verde became the second-smallest country by land area and the third-least-populated.[6][7]

The team was drawn into Group H alongside Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia. In their first ever World Cup game, they caused a major upset by drawing 0–0 to Spain. That upset was furthered by a 2–2 draw against Uruguay[8] and a 0–0 draw against Saudi Arabia[9] to finish second in their group, thereby becoming the smallest-ever nation to reach the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup.[10][11][12]

In the round of 32, Cape Verde lost 3-2 to defending champions Argentina in overtime, eliminating Cape Verde from the competition.

Overall record

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1974 Part of Portugal Part of Portugal
1978 and 1982 Not a member of FIFA Not a member of FIFA
1986 to 1998 Did not enter Did not enter
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 0 2
Germany 2006 12 4 2 6 12 16
South Africa 2010 6 3 0 3 7 8
Brazil 2014 6 3 0 3 9 7
Russia 2018 8 3 0 5 6 13
Qatar 2022 6 3 2 1 8 6
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Round of 32 32nd 4 0 3 1 4 5 Squad 10 7 2 1 16 8
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Round of 32 1/10 4 0 3 1 4 5 — 50 22 8 20 52 57

Goalscorers

Hélio Varela is one of Cape Verde's goalscorers

On 21 June 2026, Kevin Pina made football history by scoring Cape Verde's first-ever FIFA World Cup goal, doing so in the 21st minute of their second group stage match against Uruguay in Miami.

Player Goals 2026
Kevin Pina 1 1
Hélio Varela 1 1
Deroy Duarte 1 1
Sidny Lopes Cabral 1 1
Total 4 4

Tournaments

2026 FIFA World Cup

Group stage

Vozinha surged in popularity during the tournament.[13]
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Spain 3 2 1 0 5 0 +5 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Cape Verde 3 0 3 0 2 2 0 3
3  Uruguay 3 0 2 1 3 4 −1 2[a]
4  Saudi Arabia 3 0 2 1 1 5 −4 2[a]
Source: FIFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers
Notes:
  1. 1 2 Tied on head-to-head result (Saudi Arabia 1–1 Uruguay). Overall goal difference was used as the tiebreaker.
Spain 0–0 Cape Verde
[Report 1]
Attendance: 67,640
Uruguay 2–2 Cape Verde
 [Report 2]
Attendance: 64,003
Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway)
Cape Verde 0–0 Saudi Arabia
[Report 3]
Attendance: 68,278

Knockout stage

Round of 32
Argentina 3–2 (a.e.t.) Cape Verde
 [Report 4]
Attendance: 64,478
Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)

Off-field developments

During the tournament, New Zealand Police confirmed that captain Ryan Mendes was under investigation over an allegation of rape relating to an incident reported at a hotel in Auckland in March 2026, when the squad had been in the city for FIFA Series friendlies. The complainant had worked as an interpreter for the delegation. No charges were laid, and the allegation has not been tested in court.[14][15] FIFA said it was in contact with the New Zealand authorities, and neither FIFA nor the Cape Verdean federation announced any disciplinary action.[16]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Cape Verde stun Spain to claim historic point on World Cup debut". Confederation of African Football. 2026-06-15. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
  2. ↑ Stevens, Rob (October 13, 2025). "World Cup 2026 qualifying: Cape Verde make history as second-smallest qualifier". BBC Sport.
  3. ↑ Stevens, Rob. "Cape Verde 3-0 Eswatini: Blue Sharks reach World Cup finals for first time". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  4. ↑ Stevens, Rob (13 October 2025). "Cape Verde become second-smallest nation to reach World Cup". BBC. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  5. ↑ "Cabo Verde seal historic World Cup qualification". FIFA. 2025-10-13. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
  6. ↑ Pannell, Alfie (19 November 2025). "Curaçao to Cape Verde: Small nations make big World Cup history". NPR. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
  7. ↑ Howorth, Alasdair (5 June 2026). "Cape Verde World Cup 2026 team guide". Guardian. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Cape Verde Make History by Reaching World Cup Knockout Stage as Spain Eliminate Uruguay". Dawan Africa. 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Cape Verde 0-0 Saudi Arabia: Game Analysis". ESPN. 26 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Cape Verde break record as smallest nation to reach World Cup knockouts". Al Jazeera. 27 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "World Cup 2026 Group H Analysis". World Cup 2026. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
  12. ↑ "Cape Verde Becomes Smallest-Ever Country To Make World Cup Knockout Stage". FOX Sports. 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  13. ↑ Rice-Coates, Callum (15 June 2026). "Tears shed, records smashed and a social media explosion - How Vozinha became Cabo Verde's global superstar". www.tntsports.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "FIFA World Cup: Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes under police investigation in Auckland". The New Zealand Herald. 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  15. ↑ "Police confirm a 2026 World Cup captain is being investigated over an alleged rape". GiveMeSport. 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  16. ↑ "FIFA responds to Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes investigation during World Cup". Heavy.com. 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.

Reports

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