Cape Verde Reaches FIFA World Cup for First Time

The Atlantic archipelago of 560,000 people qualified for the 2026 World Cup, ending decades of near-misses in African qualification. Cape Verde built its squad largely through diaspora recruitment—dual-nationality players from Portuguese, Dutch, and French clubs choosing to represent their ancestral nation. The qualification reflects both the federation's systematic development model and the expanded 48-team format, which increased African berths from five to nine.