Cape Verde have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Eswatini 3–0 in Praia on Monday, becoming the second-smallest nation in Africa’s history to reach football’s biggest tournament.
The result ensured the Blue Sharks finished top of Group D ahead of continental heavyweights Cameroon, sealing automatic qualification to next year’s finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.Dailon Livramento opened the scoring early in the second half, before Willy Semedo doubled the lead six minutes later. Veteran defender Stopira added a third goal in stoppage time to complete a commanding victory at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde.
Cape Verde now join Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria as the six African teams already confirmed for the 2026 World Cup.
The win sparked massive celebrations across the island nation of just over 525,000 people, as fans and players marked a historic night for Cape Verdean football. President José Maria Neves was among the crowd of over 15,000 who witnessed the achievement.
Cape Verde had gone into the final group fixture needing only a win to secure qualification after a 3–3 draw against Libya in Tripoli last week delayed their celebrations. The islanders had earlier recorded a crucial 1–0 victory over Cameroon in September to take control of the group.
Historic Milestone
The qualification marks Cape Verde’s first-ever appearance at the FIFA World Cup and cements their status as one of the continent’s rising football nations. Only Iceland, with a smaller population, has ever reached the World Cup from a nation of comparable size.Cape Verde, an archipelago of ten islands off the coast of West Africa, gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and first attempted to qualify for the World Cup in 2002. Over the past decade, the Blue Sharks have steadily improved, reaching the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in both 2013 and 2023.
“This is the proudest moment in our football history,” captain Ryan Mendes said after the match. “We have dreamed of this for years, and today Cape Verde has shown that no nation is too small to achieve greatness.”
Cameroon, five-time Africa Cup of Nations champions and eight-time World Cup participants, missed out on automatic qualification after a disappointing campaign. The Indomitable Lions failed to win any of their away matches, drawing against Libya, Angola, and Eswatini, and will now have to go through both African and inter-confederation play-offs to keep their World Cup hopes alive.Cape Verde’s qualification also underlines the impact of the expanded 48-team World Cup, which has increased Africa’s guaranteed slots from five to nine.
Centre-back Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes acknowledged the new format played a role in motivating the team.
The Blue Sharks’ qualification campaign showcased both resilience and tactical discipline. They dropped only four points across the group stage and ended the campaign unbeaten at home. From starting as underdogs to finishing the group stages as World Cup debutants, the Blue Sharks’ journey to global football’s biggest stage has just started.
