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Cape Verde makes history at the World Cup! Becomes the smallest nation to reach the knockout stage

Politiko 2026-06-28 15:00:22

Cape Verde makes history at the World Cup! Becomes the smallest nation to reach

Cape Verde has written one of the most beautiful stories of the World Cup, becoming the smallest nation in history to reach the knockout stage of the tournament.

The archipelago's representative with only about 525 thousand inhabitants secured second place in Group H after a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia, while anxiously awaiting the result of the challenge between Spain and Uruguay. The footballers gathered around a mobile phone on the pitch to follow the final minutes of the match and, as soon as Spain's victory was confirmed, burst into tears of joy.

This extraordinary success ensures Cape Verde a dream match in the round of 32, where they will challenge the reigning world champions, Argentina.

The Blue Sharks' run has been impressive. They started the tournament with a goalless draw against Spain, where 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha was the main protagonist, then took a valuable point against Uruguay, showing that they can compete with the bigger teams.

One of the secrets to Cape Verde's success is the Football Federation's strategy to include players from the diaspora. A total of 14 of the 26 players in the squad were born abroad, with six coming from Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Among them is striker Dailon Livramento, who scored the decisive goal in the qualifiers' win over Cameroon, which opened the way for the World Cup.

Another key factor has been the work of coach Bubista, who has been in charge of the team since 2020. Under his leadership, Cape Verde has become an organized, disciplined and difficult team to beat. In the match against Spain, the team committed only one foul in the entire match, a record statistic in World Cup history since 1966.

Bubista, named Africa's Coach of the Year for 2025 by the Confederation of African Football, had declared years ago that he believed Cape Verde would one day play in the World Cup. Now he has not only achieved that goal, but has led the team to a historic achievement.

Now the dream continues. They will face Argentina, but Cape Verde has shown that it knows no bounds when it comes to challenging the favorites.

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