ape Verde writes new history at World Cup 2026

(NLDO) – By defeating Eswatini 3-0 at home while Cameroon was held to a 0-0 draw by Angola, the tiny team Cape Verde has made history in African football.

At the national stadium in Praia in the early morning of October 14, the home team Cape Verde welcomed the opponent Eswatini, who is 90 places lower on the FIFA rankings, with a lot of hope. If they win with any score, Cape Verde will immediately take the top spot in Group D , the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Africa.

The only official ticket from this group to the World Cup will also belong to the team of the smallest country in Africa with a population of just over 500,000 people ...

Cape Verde players after historic victory

Despite the home advantage, the Blue Sharks still had to wait until the 48th minute to open the scoring. Yannick Semedo crossed the ball precisely in the direction of Dailon Livramento's movement and the player did not miss the opportunity to open the score for Cape Verde.

In the 54th minute, after Jamiro Monteiro hit the crossbar from long range, Willy Semedo scored from close range from a Ryan Mendes pass. The packed stadium crowd of 15,000 started celebrating until the 90+1 minute when 37-year-old substitute Stopira scored to seal a 3-0 win for Cape Verde.

Cape Verde - the smallest country to qualify for the World Cup

Cape Verde – a country of just over 500,000 people – has officially qualified for the 2026 World Cup. A 3-0 win over Eswatini in the final match helped them top Group D, surpassing the "big guy" Cameroon to win a historic ticket.

This is the first time Cape Verde has participated in the biggest football festival on the planet. With a modest population and an area of ​​just over 4,000 km², they become the smallest country to ever participate in the World Cup, breaking the record held by Trinidad & Tobago since 2006. In terms of population, Cape Verde is also the second least populous country to ever participate, behind only Iceland at the 2018 World Cup.

That feat was no fluke. Under the guidance of former international coach Bubista, Cape Verde displayed incredible fighting spirit and discipline. They boasted a solid defense, kept seven clean sheets in 10 qualifying matches, and a run of five consecutive victories – including an impressive 1-0 win over Cameroon. Despite being held to a draw by Libya in the penultimate game, the island nation sealed their fate with a brilliant victory over Eswatini.

The joy of the people exploded at Estadio Nacional. On social networks, FIFA President Gianni Infantino sent warm congratulations to Cape Verde, calling it "a testament to the strength, belief and spirit of African football".

FIFA congratulates Cape Verde on successful completion of World Cup qualifying campaign

From a small archipelago in the Atlantic, Cape Verde has written a new chapter in the history of football in the black continent. That miracle not only brings pride to the country of 500,000 people, but also symbolizes the aspiration of Africa to rise on the world's biggest stage.

Having only gained independence from Portugal in 1975, Cape Verde is not a wealthy country and football is not very developed. In April 2000, they were still ranked 182nd in the FIFA rankings and had never reached the finals of the African Cup of Nations (CAN), let alone the World Cup.

However, everything changed after 25 years. They have participated in CAN 4 times and rewrote history when they qualified for the World Cup for the first time.

22 national teams have qualified for the 2026 World Cup:

Co-hosts: USA, Mexico, Canada

South America: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Ecuador, Paraguay, Colombia

Africa: Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Ghana, Cape Verde

Asia : Japan, Iran, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Jordan, Australia

Oceania: New Zealand

Source: https://nld.com.vn/cape-verde-viet-nen-trang-su-moi-tai-world-cup-2026-196251014050951597.htm