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An island nation of over half a million people, Cape Verde made an unexpected exit in the last 32.
Published on 1 Jul 2026
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For many years, Cape Verde has been known for its clear waters and white sandy beaches.
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But the legend of football in North America in June has greatly raised the profile of this small country around the world.
Cape Verde turned its fans from dreamers to believers, writing stories over the years when the first World Cup players became leaders. a very small world to reach the defeating stages of the competition.
On Friday, the 10-nation Atlantic group will face reigning champions Argentina in a David vs Goliath match.
Here’s everything you need to know about Cape Verde:
Where is Cape Verde?
Cape Verde is an island nation off the west coast of Africa.
How did Cape Verde do at the 2026 World Cup?
Cape Verde cleared the odds reaching the World Cupfinishing second in the trick category. They registered three points, taking each part of Spain, former champions Uruguay and Saudi Arabia to impress. It was enough to send them to the final 32.
Why did the Cape Verde World Cup take place in history?
As a country of over half a million people, expectations were low for Cape Verde for their World Cup campaign. But, following a fairytale run in the African racesBlue Shark lived up to their killer reputation, and is continuing their dream in North America.
It is the youngest nation to have managed to lose in the 96-year history of the World Cup.
Cape Verde’s success has been in the making for some time, with the process of finding football talent established and joining its core group of promising players. Of the starting 11 who were on the field for the 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia in the final group game, six were born abroad. Three were born in the Netherlands, and the others were from the Republic of Ireland, France and Portugal.
When does Cape Verde play Argentina?
Cape Verde will face hosts Argentina in the Round of 32 on Friday in Miami. The match starts at 5pm (22:00 GMT).
Who is Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha?
In Cape Verde The 40-year-old goalkeeper’s voice has been the hero of their first World Cup campaign, keeping two clean sheets in three games. He made an incredible seven saves in their goalless draw against European champions Spain, keeping out the talented Lamine Yamal.
His impressive display between the sticks made him an overnight sensation on social media – Vozinha’s Instagram followers jumped from 500,000 to 17.4 million, as of Wednesday.
That’s more than some of the world’s most famous players, including NFL legend Tom Brady and NBA star Victor Wembanyama.
Who are the best players in Cape Verde?
Apart from Vozinha – whose real name is Josimar Jose Evora Dias – Cape Verde’s centre-back Diney Borges and defender Kevin Pina have played a major role in their success so far. Pina also scored once, along with Helio Varela.
The 2026 World Cup is not the first major tournament in Cape Verde. He has played in four Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the world’s premier football tournament. Cape Verde’s best results were reaching the quarterfinals at the start of their campaign in 2013, and their last appearance in 2023.
They almost qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but were eliminated in the final group stage.
What is Cape Verde’s FIFA world ranking?
Cape Verde is ranked 64th.
Why is Cape Verde called Blue Sharks?
Their football team is called “Tubaroes Azuis” – Portuguese for “Blue Sharks”. It’s a moniker for the great blue sharks that live in the Atlantic waters around Cape Verde, where the islands are home to several species of sharks and rays.
