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Cape Verde national football team

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Cape Verde women's national football team.
Quick facts for kids
Cape Verde
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Tubarões Azuis
(Blue Sharks)
Crioulos (Creoles)
Association Federação Caboverdiana de Futebol (FCF)
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation WAFU (West Africa)
Head coach Bubista
Captain Vozinha
Most caps Ryan Mendes (92)
Top scorer Ryan Mendes (22)
Home stadium Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
FIFA code CPV
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 74 Decrease 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest 27 (February 2014)
Lowest 182 (April 2000)
Elo ranking
Current 104 Decrease 6 (3 March 2019)
Highest 69 (31 March 2015)
Lowest 146 (August 1998)
First international
 Cape Verde 0–1 Guinea 
(Guinea-Bissau; 19 April 1978)
Biggest win
 Cape Verde 7–1 São Tomé and Príncipe 
(Praia, Cape Verde; 13 June 2015)
 Liechtenstein 0–6 Cape Verde 
(San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain; 25 March 2022)
Biggest defeat
 Senegal 5–1 Cape Verde 
(Mali; 12 February 1981)
 Cape Verde 0–4 Ghana 
(Praia, Cape Verde; 8 October 2005)
 Guinea 4–0 Cape Verde 
(Conakry, Guinea; 9 September 2007)
 Burkina Faso 4–0 Cape Verde 
(Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 14 November 2017)
 Algeria 5–1 Cape Verde 
(Constantine, Algeria; 12 October 2023)
World Cup
Appearances 1 (first in 2026)
Best result TBD (2026)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances 4 (first in 2013)
Best result Quarter-finals (2013, 2023)

The Cape Verde national football team is the official football team for the country of Cape Verde. They are often called the Tubarões Azuis, which means "Blue Sharks" in Portuguese. The team is also known as the Crioulos. They are managed by the Cape Verdean Football Federation.

Cape Verde played its very first match on April 19, 1978, against Guinea, losing 1–0. After joining the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and FIFA in 1982, the team began to compete in bigger tournaments. They first tried to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in 1992 and for the FIFA World Cup in 2003.

The team usually plays its home games at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde. They made their first appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013. Since then, they also qualified for the tournaments in 2015, 2021, and 2023. Their best results were reaching the quarter-finals in both 2013 and 2023. In 2021, Cape Verde was ranked 73rd in the world by FIFA. The team's coach is Pedro Leitão Brito.

Cape Verde qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time for the 2026 tournament. This made them one of the smallest nations ever to qualify for the World Cup, with a population of just under 525,000 people.

History

How the Team Started

Cape Verde became an independent country from Portugal in 1975. The national football team played its first international game on May 29, 1978. They lost 1–0 to Guinea in a tournament held in Guinea-Bissau. The Cape Verdean Football Federation was created in 1982 and joined FIFA in 1986.

Many players for the national team come from Cape Verdeans living abroad. There are more Cape Verdeans living outside the islands than on the islands themselves! Most of the team's current international players play for clubs in Europe or Asia. Some of them were even born outside Cape Verde.

Big Tournaments: World Cup and Africa Cup

Cape Verde has worked hard to qualify for major football tournaments. They qualified for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. Their first attempt to qualify for the FIFA World Cup was for the 2002 tournament. In that campaign, they were eliminated early after one draw and one loss against Algeria.

For the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Cape Verde reached the Final Round. They achieved their first away victory against Burkina Faso. However, they finished fifth in their group and did not qualify for either final tournament.

Under coach João de Deus, new players from European leagues joined the team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Cape Verde finished second in their group in the Second Round, behind Cameroon. They did not advance to the Third Round. Dady was their top scorer in that qualifying campaign.

Finally, Cape Verde qualified for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations after a surprising 3–2 win on aggregate against Cameroon.

Africa Cup of Nations 2013: A Big First!

On October 14, 2012, Cape Verde secured its first-ever spot in the Finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. They beat Cameroon 3–2 over two matches. They won their home game 2–0 in Praia and lost the away game 2–1 in Yaoundé.

Cape Verde was drawn into Group A for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. They played against Angola, Morocco, and the host nation South Africa. Cape Verde played the opening match of the tournament against South Africa on January 19, 2013. At the time, Cape Verde had the highest FIFA ranking in their group.

In the tournament, Cape Verde drew 0–0 with South Africa and 1–1 with Morocco. Platini scored Cape Verde's first-ever goal in the AFCON. They then won their first AFCON match, beating Angola 2–1. Goals from Fernando Varela and Héldon Ramos helped them reach the quarter-finals in their very first appearance!

On February 2, 2013, Cape Verde played against Ghana in the quarter-finals. Cape Verde played well, taking more shots on goal than Ghana. However, Ghana's goalkeeper Abdul Dauda made great saves. Mubarak Wakaso scored two goals for Ghana, leading to a 2–0 win. This ended Cape Verde's amazing 2013 Africa Cup of Nations journey.

Africa Cup of Nations 2015: Unbeaten but Out

On October 15, 2014, Cape Verde was one of the first teams to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. They joined host nation Equatorial Guinea after beating Mozambique 1–0 at home. Under their new coach Rui Águas, they finished first in their qualifying group. They were in a group with Mozambique, Niger, and Zambia.

In the final tournament, Cape Verde was in Group B with Zambia, Tunisia, and DR Congo. Their first match on January 18, 2015, was a 1–1 draw against Tunisia. Héldon scored a penalty kick to tie the game. Four days later, they drew 0–0 against DR Congo.

Their final group match against Zambia on January 26, 2015, also ended in a 0–0 draw. Despite being undefeated in the group stage, Cape Verde was eliminated. They had the same number of points as DR Congo but lost out due to goal difference. The team showed good defense but only scored one goal in the tournament.

Africa Cup of Nations 2023: Quarter-Finals Again!

Cape Verde qualified for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and was placed in Group B. They started strong, beating Ghana 2–1. Garry Rodrigues scored the winning goal in the final minutes. In their second match, Cape Verde won 3–0 against Mozambique. These results meant Cape Verde secured their spot in the knockout stage as group winners before their last group match.

In their final group game, Cape Verde played Egypt. The match ended in a 2–2 draw, with Bryan Teixeira scoring a late goal to equalize. In the Round of 16, Cape Verde faced Mauritania. Captain Ryan Mendes scored a penalty in the 88th minute, sending them to the quarter-finals.

In the quarter-finals, Cape Verde played against South Africa. The game was a 0–0 draw even after extra time, so it went to a penalty shootout. Unfortunately, Cape Verde missed four of their five penalty kicks and lost the shootout 1–2. This ended their impressive run in the tournament.

Other Achievements

Carlos Lima Calu 2013 Catalonia
Two players playing for the national football team of Cabo Verde

Cape Verde has won two titles. They hosted and won the Amílcar Cabral Cup in 2000. They also won the gold medal in the football tournament at the 2009 Lusophony Games. The team earned a bronze medal at the 2006 Lusofonia Games.

The team played its first non-African opponent, Luxembourg, in a friendly match on November 2, 2002. The game ended in a 0–0 draw. On September 4, 2009, they beat Malta 2–0 in a friendly. On May 24, 2010, Cape Verde drew 0–0 with a strong Portugal team. At that time, Portugal was ranked third in FIFA, and Cape Verde was 117th. On March 31, 2015, Cape Verde surprisingly won 2–0 against Portugal in Estoril.

Team Kits

Kit providers Period
Germany Adidas 1975–1993
Netherlands Beltona 1994–1995
Portugal Saillev 1996–2001
Portugal Tepa 2002–2007
Italy Erreà 2008–2009
Spain KS Sport 2010–2011
Germany Adidas 2012
Portugal Tepa 2013–2014
Portugal Lacatoni 2015–2017
Germany Adidas 2018–2021
Austria Tempo Sport 2022–present

Home Stadiums

Main articles: Estádio da Várzea and Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde

The national team used to play its games at Estádio da Várzea. This stadium is in the capital city, Praia, on Santiago Island. It was reopened in 2006 and can hold 8,000 people.

A new national stadium, the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, was planned in 2007. China helped finance its construction. The project aimed to build a 10,000-seat stadium in Achada de São Filipe, north of the capital. It was designed for football and athletics. Construction started in October 2010. The stadium's capacity was later increased to 15,000 spectators.

Today, the team plays most of its home matches at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde. The Tubarões Azuis have also played games at the 5,000-seat Adérito Sena Municipal Stadium in Mindelo.

Recent Matches

Here are the results of matches played in the last year, and any upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

10 October 2024 (2024-10-10) 2025 AFCON qualifier Cape Verde  0–1  Botswana Praia, Cape Verde
15:00 UTC−1 Orebonye Goal 2' Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
Referee: Samir Guezzaz (Morocco)
15 October 2024 (2024-10-15) 2025 AFCON qualifier Botswana  1–0  Cape Verde Francistown, Botswana
18:00 UTC+2
  • Sesinyi Goal 52'
 Stadium: Obed Itani Chilume Stadium
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Messie Nkounkou (Congo)
15 November 2024 (2024-11-15) 2025 AFCON qualifier Cape Verde  1–1  Egypt Praia, Cape Verde
14:00 UTC−1
  • Mendes Goal 63' (pen.)
  • Mohamed Goal 31'
 Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
Referee: Djindo Louis Houngnandande (Benin)
19 November 2024 (2024-11-19) 2025 AFCON qualifier Mauritania  1–0  Cape Verde Nouakchott, Mauritania
15:00 UTC±0
  • Soueid Goal 45+4'
 Stadium: Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium
Referee: Lahlou Benbraham (Algeria)

2025 Matches

20 March 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Cape Verde  1–0  Mauritius Praia, Cape Verde
17:00
  • Semedo Goal 84'
 Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
Referee: Yannick Malala Kabanga (DR Congo)
25 March 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Angola  1–2  Cape Verde Luanda, Angola
17:00
  • Dala Goal 50'
  • Livramento Goal 45+2', 63'
 Stadium: Estádio 11 de Novembro
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
29 May Friendly Malaysia  1–1  Cape Verde Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
21:00 UTC+8 Josué Goal 79' S. Cabral Goal 8' Stadium: Kuala Lumpur Stadium
Attendance: 10,708
Referee: Mongkolchai Pechhri (Thailand)
3 June Closed-Door Friendly1 Malaysia  0–3  Cape Verde Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
21:00 UTC+8 Livramento Goal 35, 48'
  • H. Tavares Goal 55'
 Stadium: Bukit Jalil National Stadium
Attendance: 0
8 June Friendly Georgia  1–1  Cape Verde Kutaisi, Georgia
Lobzhanidze Goal 45+1' R. Mendes Goal 78' Stadium: Ramaz Shengelia Stadium
Referee: Henrik Nalbandyan (Armenia)
4 September 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Mauritius  0–2  Cape Verde Saint Pierre, Mauritius
20:00 UTC+4
  • Cabral Goal 22'
  • Diney Goal 70'
 Stadium: Côte d'Or National Sports Complex
Referee: Mohamed Diraneh Guedi (Djibouti)
9 September 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Cape Verde  1–0  Cameroon Praia, Cape Verde
  • Livramento Goal 54'
 Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
Referee: Daniel Nii Laryea (Ghana)
8 October 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Libya  3–3  Cape Verde Tripoli, Libya
15:00 UTC+2
  • Pico Goal 1' (o.g.)
  • El Maremi Goal 42'
  • Al-Shalui Goal 58'
  • Arcanjo Goal 29'
  • S. Cabral Goal 76'
  • W. Semedo Goal 82'
 Stadium: Tripoli Stadium
Referee: Mahmood Ali Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)
13 October 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Cape Verde  3–0  Swaziland Praia, Cape Verde
15:00 UTC−1
  • Livramento Goal 48'
  • W. Semedo Goal 54'
  • Stopira Goal 90+1'
 Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
Referee: Ahmed Arajiga (Tanzania)

2026 Matches

June 2026 FIFA World Cup GS Cape Verde  v TBD
June 2026 FIFA World Cup GS Cape Verde  v TBD
June 2026 FIFA World Cup GS TBD v  Cape Verde

Coaches

Caretaker managers are listed in italics.
  • Portugal Carlos Alhinho (1985–1986)
  • Portugal Óscar (1998–2003)
  • Portugal Alexandre Alhinho (2003–2006)
  • Cape Verde Ze Rui (2006)
  • Brazil Ricardo da Rocha (2007)
  • Portugal João de Deus (2008–2010)
  • Cape Verde Lúcio Antunes (2010–2013)
  • Portugal Rui Águas (2014–2016)
  • Cape Verde Beto (2016)
  • Cape Verde Lúcio Antunes (2016–2018)
  • Portugal Rui Águas (2018–2019)
  • Cape Verde Janito Carvalho (2019–2020)
  • Cape Verde Bubista (2020–present)

Team Players

Current squad

The following players were selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Libya and Eswatini on October 8 and 13, 2025, respectively.
Caps and goals correct as of October 13, 2025, after the match against Eswatini.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Vozinha (1986-06-03) 3 June 1986 (age 39) 83 0 Portugal Chaves
1GK Márcio Rosa (1997-02-23) 23 February 1997 (age 28) 9 0 Bulgaria Montana
1GK Bruno Varela (1994-11-04) 4 November 1994 (age 30) 7 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Hazem
2DF Stopira (1988-05-20) 20 May 1988 (age 37) 59 4 Portugal Torreense
2DF Pico (1992-06-17) 17 June 1992 (age 33) 41 0 Republic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers
2DF João Paulo (1998-05-26) 26 May 1998 (age 27) 36 1 Romania Oțelul Galați
2DF Diney (1995-01-17) 17 January 1995 (age 30) 26 2 United Arab Emirates Al Bataeh
2DF Steven Moreira (1994-08-13) 13 August 1994 (age 31) 17 0 United States Columbus Crew
2DF Wagner Pina (2002-11-03) 3 November 2002 (age 22) 9 0 Turkey Trabzonspor
2DF Sidny Lopes Cabral (2003-09-18) 18 September 2003 (age 22) 5 2 Portugal Estrela da Amadora
2DF Kelvin Pires (2000-06-05) 5 June 2000 (age 25) 2 0 Finland SJK
3MF Jamiro Monteiro (1993-11-23) 23 November 1993 (age 31) 51 5 Netherlands PEC Zwolle
3MF Kevin Pina (1997-01-27) 27 January 1997 (age 28) 26 2 Russia Krasnodar
3MF Deroy Duarte (1999-07-04) 4 July 1999 (age 26) 26 0 Bulgaria Ludogorets Razgrad
3MF Telmo Arcanjo (2001-06-21) 21 June 2001 (age 24) 11 1 Portugal Vitória de Guimarães
3MF Yannick Semedo (1995-12-29) 29 December 1995 (age 29) 8 1 Portugal Farense
3MF Laros Duarte (1997-02-28) 28 February 1997 (age 28) 8 0 Hungary Puskás Akadémia
3MF Aílson Tavares (1998-07-20) 20 July 1998 (age 27) 4 0 Israel Beitar Jerusalem
4FW Ryan Mendes (captain) (1990-01-08) 8 January 1990 (age 35) 87 22 Turkey Kocaelispor
4FW Garry Rodrigues (1990-11-27) 27 November 1990 (age 34) 53 8 Cyprus Apollon Limassol
4FW Willy Semedo (1994-04-27) 27 April 1994 (age 31) 33 2 Cyprus Omonia
4FW Dailon Livramento (2001-05-04) 4 May 2001 (age 24) 18 6 Portugal Casa Pia
4FW Hélio Varela (2002-05-03) 3 May 2002 (age 23) 18 0 Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv
4FW Heriberto Tavares (1997-02-19) 19 February 1997 (age 28) 5 1 Israel Maccabi Netanya
4FW Nuno da Costa (1991-02-10) 10 February 1991 (age 34) 4 1 Turkey İstanbul Başakşehir

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for Cape Verde in the last 12 months and are still eligible to represent.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Henrique Tavares (2002-07-29) 29 July 2002 (age 23) 0 0 France Rousset v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF David Moreira (2004-04-18) 18 April 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Portugal Sporting U23 v.  Cameroon, 9 September 2025
DF Logan Costa (2001-04-01) 1 April 2001 (age 24) 26 0 Spain Villarreal v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Jójó (2001-05-19) 19 May 2001 (age 24) 4 0 Portugal Vizela v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Kristopher Da Graca (1998-01-16) 16 January 1998 (age 27) 3 0 Cyprus Krasava Ypsonas v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Bruno Almeida (2000-07-02) 2 July 2000 (age 25) 1 0 Portugal Atlético v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Yuran Fernandes (1994-10-19) 19 October 1994 (age 30) 1 0 Indonesia PSM Makassar v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Rivaldo Morais (2000-09-18) 18 September 2000 (age 25) 1 0 Portugal Farense v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Ricardo Santos (1995-06-18) 18 June 1995 (age 30) 1 0 Wales Swansea City v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Dylan Tavares (1996-08-30) 30 August 1996 (age 29) 20 1 France Sochaux v.  Mauritania, 19 November 2024
MF Fabrício Garcia (2001-05-04) 4 May 2001 (age 24) 6 0 Portugal Estoril v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF Stéphane Cueni (2001-03-14) 14 March 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Switzerland Winterthur v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF Elson Mendes (2005-09-18) 18 September 2005 (age 20) 2 0 France Sochaux v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF Jordan Semedo (2003-01-15) 15 January 2003 (age 22) 2 0 Bulgaria Slavia Sofia v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF David Costa (2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Portugal Torreense v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF Ilano Silva Timas (2002-09-29) 29 September 2002 (age 23) 1 0 Netherlands MVV v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF Sidnei Tavares (2001-09-29) 29 September 2001 (age 24) 0 0 England Blackburn Rovers v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF David Tavares (1999-03-18) 18 March 1999 (age 26) 5 0 Azerbaijan Turan Tovuz v.  Angola, 25 March 2025
MF Patrick Andrade (1993-02-09) 9 February 1993 (age 32) 28 0 Azerbaijan Araz-Naxçıvan v.  Mauritania, 19 November 2024
FW Jovane Cabral (1998-06-14) 14 June 1998 (age 27) 24 2 Portugal Estrela Amadora v.  Cameroon, 9 September 2025
FW Alessio da Cruz (1997-01-18) 18 January 1997 (age 28) 4 0 Brazil Athletic v.  Cameroon, 9 September 2025
FW Benchimol (2001-12-29) 29 December 2001 (age 23) 21 5 Russia Akron Tolyatti v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
FW Bryan Teixeira (2000-09-01) 1 September 2000 (age 25) 6 1 Austria LASK v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
FW Duk (2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 25) 6 0 Spain Leganés v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
FW Alvin Fortes (1994-04-25) 25 April 1994 (age 31) 2 0 Malaysia Selangor v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
FW Rúben Pina (2000-01-20) 20 January 2000 (age 25) 2 0 Portugal Chaves v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
FW Bebé (1990-07-12) 12 July 1990 (age 35) 26 5 Spain Ibiza v.  Mauritania, 19 November 2024

INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
SUS Suspended from the national team.

Team Records

Players in bold are still active with Cape Verde.

Most Games Played

Ryan Mendes (LOSC Lille)
Ryan Mendes is Cape Verde's top goalscorer and their most capped player.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Ryan Mendes 90 22 2010–present
2 Vozinha 83 0 2012–present
3 Babanco 62 5 2007–2019
4 Stopira 58 3 2007–present
5 Garry Rodrigues 55 8 2013–present
6 Héldon 52 15 2008–2019
Marco Soares 52 3 2006–2021
Fernando Varela 52 3 2008–2019
9 Jamiro Monteiro 49 5 2016–present
10 Júlio Tavares 48 8 2012–2022

Top Scorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Ryan Mendes 22 90 0.24 2010–present
2 Héldon 15 52 0.29 2008–2019
3 Caló 11 27 0.41 1995–2007
4 Júlio Tavares 8 48 0.17 2012–2022
Garry Rodrigues 8 55 0.15 2013–present
6 Lito 7 47 0.15 2002–2012
7 Toni 6 11 0.55 1992–2003
Bebé 6 27 0.22 2022–present
Djaniny 6 35 0.17 2012–present
Dailon Livramento 6 18 0.33 2024–present
10 Cafú 5 15 0.33 2003–2007
Gilson Tavares 5 21 0.24 2020–present
Dady 5 23 0.22 2005–2012
Odaïr Fortes 5 28 0.18 2010–2016
Jamiro Monteiro 5 49 0.1 2016–present
Babanco 5 62 0.08 2007–2019

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup Journey

Main article: Cape Verde at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1974 Part of  Portugal Part of  Portugal
1978 and 1982 Not a member of FIFA Not a member of FIFA
1986 to 1998 Did not enter Did not enter
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 0 2
Germany 2006 12 4 2 6 12 16
South Africa 2010 6 3 0 3 7 8
Brazil 2014 6 3 0 3 9 7
Russia 2018 8 3 0 5 6 13
Qatar 2022 6 3 2 1 8 6
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Group stage 0 0 0 0 0 0 Squad 10 8 1 1 16 8
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total — 1/10 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 23 7 20 52 57

Africa Cup of Nations Journey

Main article: Cape Verde at the Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1957 to 1974 Part of  Portugal Part of  Portugal
1976 to 1992 Not a member of CAF Not a member of CAF
Tunisia 1994 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 4
South Africa 1996 Withdrew Withdrew
Burkina Faso 1998 Did not enter Did not enter
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 0 3
Mali 2002 2 0 1 1 1 2
Tunisia 2004 6 3 0 3 9 8
Egypt 2006 12 4 2 8 11 16
Ghana 2008 6 1 2 3 3 10
Angola 2010 6 3 0 3 7 8
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 2012 6 3 1 2 7 7
South Africa 2013 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 2 1 3 4 Squad 4 4 0 0 10 3
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Group stage 11th 3 0 3 0 1 1 Squad 6 4 0 2 9 6
Gabon 2017 Did not qualify 6 3 0 3 10 7
Egypt 2019 6 1 2 3 4 5
Cameroon 2021 Round of 16 15th 4 1 1 2 2 4 Squad 6 2 4 0 6 3
Ivory Coast 2023 Quarter-finals 5th 5 3 2 0 8 3 Squad 6 3 1 2 8 6
Morocco 2025 Did not qualify 6 1 1 4 3 7
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined To be determined
2029
Total Quarter-finals 4/35 16 5 8 3 14 12 — 82 33 15 34 90 95

Match Records Against Other Countries

As of October 13, 2025, after match against  Eswatini

      Positive Record       Neutral Record       Negative Record

Opponent
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 % Win
 First meeting
 Last meeting
 Federation
 Algeria 6 1 2 3 6 13 −7 16.67% 2000 2023 CAF
 Andorra 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 50% 2018 2020 UEFA
 Angola 8 3 3 2 10 9 +1 37.5% 1988 2025 CAF
 Bahrain 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100% 2022 2022 AFC
 Botswana 2 0 0 2 0 2 –2 0% 2024 2024 CAF
 Burkina Faso 9 4 1 4 7 11 –4 44.44% 2004 2023 CAF
 Cameroon 9 2 3 4 10 12 –2 22.22% 2008 2025 CAF
 Central African Republic 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 50% 2021 2021 CAF
 Comoros 1 0 0 1 1 2 –1 0% 2023 2023 CAF
 DR Congo 3 0 2 1 2 3 –1 0% 2004 2015 CAF
 Ecuador 1 0 0 1 0 1 –1 0% 2022 2022 CONMEBOL
 Egypt 3 0 2 1 3 6 –3 0% 2024 2024 CAF
 Equatorial Guinea 4 4 0 0 12 0 +12 100% 2009 2024 CAF
 Eswatini 6 4 2 0 10 1 +9 66.67% 2003 2025 CAF
 Ethiopia 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% 2022 2022 CAF
 Gabon 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% 2013 2013 CAF
 Gambia 9 2 3 4 7 13 –6 22.22% 1982 2007 CAF
 Georgia 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% 2025 2025 UEFA
 Ghana 7 3 0 4 4 10 –6 42.85% 2001 2024 CAF
 Guinea 8 2 2 4 6 10 –4 25.00% 1982 2020 CAF
 Guinea-Bissau 13 5 3 5 13 13 0 38.46% 1979 2010 CAF
 Guyana 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% 2024 2024 CAF
 Kenya 4 1 0 3 2 3 –1 25.00% 2002 2015 CAF
 Lesotho 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 0% 2018 2019 CAF
 Liberia 6 4 0 2 8 7 +1 66.67% 2000 2021 CAF
 Libya 4 2 1 1 6 5 +1 50.00% 2015 2025 CAF
 Liechtenstein 1 1 0 0 6 0 +6 100% 2022 2022 UEFA
 Luxembourg 4 1 3 0 3 1 +2 25.00% 2002 2017 UEFA
 Madagascar 2 2 0 0 7 1 +6 100% 2012 2012 CAF
 Mali 13 4 3 6 7 15 –8 30.76% 1981 2011 CAF
 Mauritania 14 7 3 4 20 12 +8 50.00% 1982 2024 CAF
 Mauritius 4 4 0 0 7 1 +6 100% 2008 2025 CAF
 Morocco 4 0 2 2 1 4 –3 0% 2013 2023 CAF
 Mozambique 5 3 1 1 7 4 +3 60.00% 2014 2024 CAF
 Niger 2 2 0 0 6 2 +4 100% 2014 2014 CAF
 Nigeria 3 0 2 1 2 3 –1 0% 2013 2021 CAF
 Portugal 3 1 1 1 3 4 –1 33.33% 2006 2015 UEFA
 Rwanda 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 0% 2020 2020 CAF
 San Marino 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100% 2022 2022 UEFA
 Senegal 20 2 2 16 8 34 –26 10.00% 1979 2022 CAF
 Sierra Leone 13 4 2 7 7 14 –7 30.76% 1983 2022 CAF
 South Africa 6 2 2 2 6 6 0 33.33% 2004 2024 CAF
 Tanzania 4 2 0 2 5 5 0 50.00% 2008 2018 CAF
 Togo 5 3 0 2 10 10 0 60.00% 2003 2023 CAF
 Tunisia 3 0 1 2 2 6 –4 0% 2012 2015 CAF
 Uganda 4 1 0 3 1 3 –2 25.00% 2004 2018 CAF
 Zambia 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 33.33% 2014 2015 CAF
 Zimbabwe 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 50.00% 2010 2011 CAF
Total (49) 234 88 54 92 242 258 –16 37.60% 1979 2025 FIFA

Trophies and Awards

Regional

  • Amílcar Cabral Cup
    • 1 Champions (1): 2000
    • 2 Runners-up (1): 2007
    • 3 Third place (1): 1995
  • Lusofonia Games
    • 1 Champions (1): 2009
    • 3 Third place (1): 2006

Friendly

  • FIFA Series (1): 2024 Saudi Arabia A

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Cabo Verde para niños

kids search engine
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Cape Verde national football team Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.