Cape Verde, officially known as Cabo Verde, secured a historic first-ever FIFA World Cup qualification by finishing at the top of a highly competitive CAF qualifying group

After many continental level appearances, Cape Verde are ready for their opening act on football’s grandest stage.

Cape Verde qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by finishing at the top of Group D in CAF qualifying, finishing four points ahead of Cameroon. In ten matches, the team won seven with two draws, and recorded a goal difference of +8.

By Mark Gleeson June 2 (Reuters) - Cape Verde are the only African newcomers in this year's World Cup and with a population of around 600,000 are the third smallest nation to qualify in the tournament’s long history.

As Cape Verde prepares for its historic first World Cup appearance, young footballers and coaches in Praia dare to dream big despite limited resources.

Cape Verde will make its World Cup debut at the 2026 tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada. In the third instalment of a four-part series, RFI looks at the journey of the second smallest nation after Curaçao to qualify for the competition in its 96-year history.

For the first time in history Cape Verde, the tiny volcanic archipelago of just 525,000 people, one of the smallest countries in the world, has qualified for the competition.