In one of African football’s most incredible and inspiring stories, Cape Verde has officially qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history.
The achievement is all the more remarkable given the small island nation’s size. With a population of just around 600,000, the Blue Sharks become the second-smallest nation ever to reach the World Cup finals, only behind Iceland.
The massive media turnout and electric atmosphere in Praia underscored the sheer significance of this moment, as the smallest nation in the race makes the biggest waves in African football.
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Dominating Group D
Cape Verde’s qualification was earned through a dominant performance in Group D, which they secured with 23 points. This put them a full four points ahead of perennial African powerhouses Cameroon, who hold the continent’s record with eight previous World Cup appearances.
Their crucial qualifying match saw the Blue Sharks defeat Eswatini 3-0 in front of a flag-waving crowd of 15,000 fans in Praia.
Goalless First Half: Despite controlling the first half, Cape Verde rarely tested the keeper, with the match remaining locked at 0-0 heading into the break.
Second Half Breakthrough: The deadlock was shattered immediately after the restart. Dailon Livramento claimed his fourth goal of the campaign in the 48th minute, followed six minutes later by Willy Semedo. Both goals were close-range tap-ins, igniting the home support.
Sealing the Win: Substitute Stopira added the third goal in stoppage time, pouncing on a loose ball to confirm the victory and the historic qualification.
Meanwhile, Cameroon could only manage a 0-0 draw with Angola in Yaounde, which definitively handed the group to Cape Verde.
Africa’s World Cup Contingent Grows
Cape Verde now joins a strong group of African nations that have already booked their places at the 2026 global showpiece:
AFRICA AT THE 2026 WORLD CUP:
Ghana
Morocco
Tunisia
Egypt
Algeria
Cape Verde
This historic moment highlights the depth and unpredictability of African football, where new contenders are constantly rising to challenge the traditional giants.
The Race Heats Up
While six nations are confirmed, the battle for the remaining spots is still fiercely contested.
Crucially, no African nation has officially secured a spot in the 2026 World Cup play-offs yet.
The race remains wide open across the continent. Even a traditional powerhouse like Cameroon is not guaranteed qualification and could still be overtaken in the standings by nations such as the DR Congo, Uganda, and Nigeria.