Many countries from around the world, including footballing minnows Sierra Leone, reigning champions Argentina, and Thomas Tuchel’s England, are undergoing a series of international breaks in order to guarantee their qualification for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Aside from domestic football, anticipation for the international tournament next summer is building. Will Lionel Scaloni’s team continue to be the global champions? Is there going to be another winner? There are still many unanswered questions, but those will be resolved in 2026.
And a tiny country that is just one victory away from qualifying may join the best countries—think France, Spain, and Portugal. Following an unexpected 1-0 victory over Cameroon, who have a wealth of Premier League-proven quality, Cape Verde, under the management of Bubista, are now four points clear at the top of Group D.
Cape Verde is in danger of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time.
Center-forward Livramento started and closed the scoring for Cape Verde, who are lovingly known as The Blue Sharks, in the 54th minute. He made his way through the middle of the Cameroonian defence and managed to get his shot past Andre Onana, who is on loan from Manchester United.
Despite Vozinha’s last-minute stop from a Flavien Boyomo volley and Bryan Mbeumo’s appeal for a penalty, the Indomitable Lions were unable to reply. Because the event took place at the Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde in Cape Verde, there was a great deal of excitement in the post-match atmosphere.
The home crowd swarmed the pitch, fired flares and waved flags in celebration of their narrow but vital victory. They were ecstatic about the outcome and the fact that they are now just a hair away from creating Cape Verde history by securing a spot in the 23rd edition of the men’s World Cup.
With only 524,877 residents, Cape Verde can make history by qualifying for their first-ever World Cup with just one more win over either Libya or Eswatini, or good outcomes from other teams.
If they do, Cape Verde, an autonomous African nation in the Atlantic Ocean, will, astonishingly, be the second-smallest nation in terms of population to qualify for the global showcase.
Cape Verde: Qualifications for the 2026 World Cup
Date
The outcome
16/11/23
Cape Verde versus Angola 0-0
21/11/23
0-2 Cape Verde Eswatini
08/06/24
Cape Verde 4-1 Cameroon
November 6, 24
Libya 1-0 Cape Verde
March 20, 25
Mauritius 1-0 Cape Verde
March 25,
1-2 Cape Verde Angola
April 9, 25
Cape Verde 0–2 Mauritius
09/09/25
Cameroon 1-0 Cape Verde
Nonetheless, Cape Verde has previously outperformed its peers in international competition. They have qualified for four Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) competitions: 2013, 2015, 2021, and 2023. In the latter, they advanced past the first round of the knockout round, which was their greatest performance to date.
Although they have advanced to the AFCON quarterfinals in 2013 and 2023, participating in a World Cup would be their most remarkable achievement to yet, particularly for a country in the Atlantic Ocean island with a population of less than 600,000.
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