by Elsie Husted ’28 on October 23, 2025
Professional Sports
Monday, Oct. 13, Cape Verde’s men’s national soccer team beat Eswatini 3–0 to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. This might not sound newsworthy to a lot of people—after all, the World Cup is still seven months away. However, for the small nation of Cape Verde, this is cause for celebration.
Cape Verde’s victory against Eswatini secured their Group D victory and punched their ticket for the 2026 World Cup. Their qualification can be attributed to FIFA expanding its World Cup format to include 48 countries instead of the previous 32. This increases the number of African spots from five to nine, giving smaller countries like Cape Verde a chance to play on the world’s biggest stage. The island nation is located in the central Atlantic Ocean, just off the coast of West Africa. The nation, consisting of 10 islands, has a population of less than 600,000 people. This makes them the second smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup, Iceland being the smallest, which qualified for the 2018 World Cup with a population of around 350,000.
Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony until 1975, celebrating 50 years of independence this past July. Not only is the country new, but its national team is only 43 years old. The Cabo Verdean Football Federation was founded in 1982 and became a FIFA member in 1986. The national team has players from all over the globe, with players from France, Ireland, the Netherlands, and of course, Cape Verde. Dailon Livramento scored the first goal of the game in the 48th minute. Livramento, originally born in the Netherlands, usually plays for Casa Pia in Portugal. Willy Semedo, born in France, scored in the 54th minute. Ianique dos Santos Tavares, born in Praia, secured the win with a goal in the 91st minute.
The game took place at Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde in Praia, the nation’s capital. There were 15,000 people officially in attendance. Tickets sold out in record time, with people from all over the world coming to watch. The game was so highly anticipated that the government declared a half-day holiday. The coach of the team, Pedro Leitão Brito (better known as Bubista) said that this win is important for the nation’s self-esteem. He said, “We’re a small country, but it’s only small on the map… a small country with a big heart.” To build team camaraderie, coach Bubista encourages the players to talk in Creole, the official language of the national team. Bubista believes it keeps “our Cape Verdean identity intact.”
Monday’s victory is more than a World Cup qualification; it’s a symbol of Cape Verde’s unity and culture. The team earned 10.5 million dollars from the Cape Verdean Football Federation, which will help improve the team’s scouting and continue to build talent. Cape Verde’s World Cup schedule will not be decided until the drawing on Dec. 5. The team will play at least three games in the 2026 World Cup.