The 2026 World Cup roster is beginning to take shape.
A country with fewer people than Birmingham has qualified for the World Cup for the first time in its history.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The event will continue over a month, with the first match on June 11 and the final on July 19.
Countries from all over the world have been competing in qualifying rounds to clinch their position in football’s most prestigious competition, the 2026 World Cup.
So far, holders Argentina, five-time champions Brazil, Japan, Egypt, and Ghana have all advanced.
Meanwhile, Spain, England, France, and Germany are also looking to secure a spot in next summer’s major tournament.
On Monday, one of the world’s tiniest nations confirmed their participation in the 2026 World Cup.
Ape Verde, rated 70th in the world, has a population smaller than Birmingham’s, but the island’s football squad is making significant strides on the global stage.
They also defeated Eswatini 3-0 to secure their berth in next summer’s World Cup.
Dailon Livramento opened the scoring, then Willy Semedo doubled his team’s lead. Stopira added a third during stoppage time.
Cape Verde will make its maiden World Cup debut, having never qualified before.
Ahead of the key match, the government announced a half-day across the country of around 525,000 to offer everyone the opportunity to see history.
Journalist Victor Hugo told FIFA, “Just thinking about it gives me shivers, because it will be spectacular.
“We celebrated 50 years of independence this year, so it’d be incredible to crown that milestone with such a great achievement – reaching the (FIFA) World Cup for the first time.”
Cape Verde joins Jordan and Uzbekistan as debutants at the 2017 World Cup.
The following nations have already qualified for the 2026 World Cup:
Canada – Host
Mexico – Host
United States – Host
Japan
New Zealand
Iran
Argentina
Uzbekistan
South Korea
Jordan
Australia
Brazil
Ecuador
Uruguay
Colombia
Paraguay
Morocco
Tunisia
Egypt
Algeria
Ghana
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