When the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Mexico City, it should set in movement a flurry of historic firsts.
A newly expanded 48-team event, three nations: the US, Canada and Mexico as hosts and we’ll additionally get to see 4 debutants within the form of Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan and Cape Verde.
It was in October of final yr that Cape Verde, the African archipelago nation — with a inhabitants of simply over half one million folks — certified for its first ever World Cup after beating Eswatini 3-0 to turn into the third-smallest nation after Curaçao and Iceland eight years in the past to make it via to soccer’s largest stage.
It was a feat made much more spectacular by the actual fact the Blue Sharks ended up 4 factors forward of conventional continental powerhouse Cameroon, topping their Confederation of African Football qualifying group within the course of.
It’s no surprise the staff’s head coach Pedro Leitão Brito — higher generally known as Bubista — was beaming with delight when he dropped by the NCS studios in Atlanta not too long ago as a part of a go to to Mercedes-Benz stadium, the place Cape Verde will start their World Cup marketing campaign on June 15 in opposition to the 2010 winners and reigning European champions, Spain.
“We are so excited. I think the people are so excited and we’re going to do our best for our people,” Bubista — a distinguished former captain and defender on the nationwide staff — instructed NCS Sports.
Bubista oversaw a really history-making qualifying marketing campaign. A sequence of outcomes that included a extremely spectacular 5 straight wins, the spotlight of which featured a never-to-be-forgotten 1-0 overcome the Cameroonians in September 2025.
But it’s October 13, 2025, that shall be indelibly etched into the reminiscence of all who witnessed Cape Verde’s historic win in opposition to Eswatini. A victory that may spark frenzied celebrations of pleasure within the nation’s capital metropolis Praia.
“Our people are so excited and so happy. Our people in the world, it’s just so great for our qualification and now our people are so grateful for everything,” Bubista added.
Cape Verde could also be about to play in a primary ever World Cup, however the nationwide staff is not any stranger to success when it comes to competing within the Africa Cup of Nations having reached the quarterfinals in 2013 after which once more, a decade later. Bubista oversaw the latter marketing campaign however now the pinnacle coach’s focus is totally on his staff’s event opener in opposition to Spain.
“We know it’s a very difficult match … They have very good players. We will respect them but anything is possible. We’re going to do our best to show the world what we can do in football,” Bubista mirrored.
“We know it’s a hard game, but we have our heart and team spirit and this is important for us. Our unity is our strength,” he added.
The Blue Sharks will arrive within the US with a gifted squad together with Villarreal’s Logan Costa, Paris Saint-Germain 18-year-old Fabio Domingos and 36-year-old Ryan Mendes, who’s the nation’s most-capped participant — with greater than 90 appearances for the nationwide staff — and is Cape Verde’s all-time main goalscorer.
And then there’s the outstanding story of the Shamrock Rovers ahead Roberto “Pico” Lopes who was born in Ireland, however when it comes to worldwide soccer, represents Cape Verde, presently ranked 69th on the earth.
Lopes had all the time needed to play for Ireland however when that didn’t materialize, he ended up enjoying for his father’s homeland after famously being recruited via a LinkedIn message from then-team head coach Rui Águas. Initially Lopes ignored the first message sent in Portuguese as spam however not the second despatched just a few months later in English.
As properly as dealing with Spain of their opener, the Cape Verdeans will even have matches in opposition to South American powerhouse Uruguay and 2034 hosts Saudi Arabia.
Cape Verde don’t have anything at all to lose going into the 2026 World Cup and their opponents could be smart not to underestimate the West African island nation.
Bubista himself is in little doubt. His staff has been making historical past each step of the way in which these previous few months they usually’re not simply there to make up the numbers.
“We want to make an impact on the tournament for our people. We want to show everyone watching that yes, we’re a small country, but we can play against the big teams. We know it’s hard but we want to show that nothing is impossible.”