🇨🇻 Cabo Verde
A 600,000-strong island nation arrives on the global stage.
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A Nation of 600,000 Arrives
Cabo Verde have qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, representing the CAF confederation. Their presence at the tournament is a proud moment for their football nation and for the fans who have followed this journey through every qualifying match.
Cabo Verde's Group H is the toughest possible welcome to a first World Cup: world number 2 Spain, two-time champions Uruguay, and AFC contender Saudi Arabia. The 600,000-population island nation becomes the second-smallest country ever to play a World Cup, behind only 1990 Trinidad and Tobago equivalents.
Coach Bubista assembled a squad almost entirely from Portuguese-league talent: Casa Pia's Vozinha in goal, Toulouse defender Logan Costa, and captain Ryan Mendes leading the line. The Iceland 2016 comparison writes itself, and a draw against Saudi Arabia is the realistic target that keeps qualification hopes alive into the third matchday. Standings update on the Group H page.
Group H Draw
All 4 teams in Cabo Verde's group. Top 2 advance automatically, plus the 8 best third-placed teams across all 12 groups.
How the 2026 Group Stage Works
Cabo Verde's 2026 Squad
Projected, official call-up to be confirmed
Likely first eleven
in a 4-3-3.
Editorial first XI based on qualifying form, club minutes, and Bubista's recent selection. The official sheet is named one hour before kickoff.
- 1Vozinha
- 4Roberto Lopes
- 5Logan Costa
- 3Stopira
- 17Jeffry Fortes
- 8Patrick Andrade
- 6Kenny Rocha
- 18Laros Duarte
- 11Ryan MendesCAPTAIN
- 7Bebe
- 10Garry Rodrigues
All 23 players
Goalkeepers
3 playersDefenders
7 playersMidfielders
6 playersForwards
7 playersEditorial selection based on current first-team form. The final 26-player squad is at the head coach's discretion and is announced approximately one month before the tournament.
Cabo Verde in CAF
Africa (CAF)
CAF sends 9 African teams, the most ever, following Morocco's 2022 semi-final that changed the conversation about African football forever.
Cabo Verde competed against other CAF nations through a multi-year qualifying campaign to secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup. The expanded format of 48 teams gave more nations a path to the tournament than ever before.
Other CAF teams at 2026
No Ticket? Watch Cabo Verde At a Fan Zone
Every Cabo Verde group match is screened live on the giant screen at the FIFA Fan Fest in the host city. Free entry, no queue, just show up. Every other host city also screens every match, so wherever you are, you can join the crowd.
Frequently Asked Questions
Group H Opponents
The teams Cabo Verde face in the group stage
