Cape Verde national football team facts for kids

The Cape Verde national football team represents the island nation of Cape Verde in international soccer games. They are often called the "Blue Sharks" (or Tubarões Azuis in Portuguese). The team is managed by the Cape Verdean Football Federation.

Cape Verde played its very first match on April 19, 1978. They joined the CAF and FIFA in 1982. The team first tried to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations in 1992. Their first attempt to reach the FIFA World Cup was in 2003. The current coach is Pedro Leitão Brito.

The team plays most of its home games at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde. They made their debut in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013. They also played in the 2015, 2021, and 2023 tournaments. In both 2013 and 2023, they reached the quarter-finals, which is a great achievement!

In 2026, Cape Verde made history by qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time! They were the smallest country by land area to ever qualify. In the group stage, they had three exciting draws. They tied 0–0 with Spain, 2–2 with Uruguay, and 0–0 with Saudi Arabia. This amazing performance helped them reach the knockout rounds. They were eventually knocked out by Argentina in a close 3–2 game after extra time. Their World Cup journey was seen as one of the biggest underdog stories ever!

Quick facts for kids
Cape Verde

Nickname	The Blue Sharks
Association	Federação Caboverdiana de Futebol (FCF)
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	WAFU (West Africa)
Head coach	Bubista
Captain	Ryan Mendes
Most caps	Ryan Mendes (102)
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 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest	27 (February 2014)
Lowest	182 (April 2000)
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	Round of 32 (2026)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	4 (first in 2013)
Best result	Quarter-finals (2013, 2023)

The Blue Sharks' Journey: A History of Cape Verde Football

Starting Out: Early Years of the Team

Cape Verde became an independent country in 1975. The national football team played its first game on May 29, 1978, losing 1–0 to Guinea. The Cape Verdean Football Federation was created in 1982. It joined FIFA in 1986.

Many players for the national team come from Cape Verdeans living abroad. These players often live and play in Europe or Asia. This helps the team find talented footballers.

Rising Stars: The 2010s

In 2010, Cape Verde had a memorable 0–0 friendly draw against Portugal. Portugal was ranked much higher at the time. This showed the world that Cape Verde was a team to watch.

The team first tried to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in 2002. They also tried for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and 2006 Africa Cup of Nations. They even won their first away game against Burkina Faso during this period.

A big moment came in 2013 when Cape Verde qualified for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations for the first time! They surprised many by beating Cameroon to get there. In the tournament, they drew with host nation South Africa and Morocco. They then beat Angola 2–1 to reach the quarter-finals. This was a huge success for the team.

In 2015, Cape Verde qualified for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations again. They finished first in their qualifying group. In the main tournament, they drew all three of their group matches. They were unfortunately knocked out due to goal difference.

Making History: The 2020s

Cape Verde continued to impress in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. They won their group by beating Ghana and Mozambique. They also drew with Egypt. They reached the quarter-finals again, but lost in a penalty shootout to South Africa.

Cape Verde at the 2026 FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup 2026 match on 21 June 2026, showing Cape Verde players in red jerseys competing against Uruguay in light blue.

The biggest achievement came in 2026 when Cape Verde qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup! This was a historic moment for the small island nation. In the group stage, they played incredibly well. They drew 0–0 against Spain, the European champions. They also drew 2–2 with Uruguay, scoring their first World Cup goals. Another 0–0 draw with Saudi Arabia meant they finished second in their group.

Cape Verde then faced the defending champions, Argentina, in the Round of 32. It was a thrilling match that went into extra time. Cape Verde lost 3–2, but their performance was amazing. Many people called it one of the greatest underdog stories in World Cup history.

Home Grounds: Where the Blue Sharks Play

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

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

Team Leaders: Coaches of Cape Verde

Many coaches have led the Cape Verde national team over the years. The current coach is Bubista, who has been with the team since 2020.

Meet the Players: Current Squad

The following 26 players were part of the team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They also played in friendly matches before the tournament.

• Caps and goals are correct as of July 3, 2026, after the match against Argentina.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Vozinha (vice-captain)	(1986-06-03) 3 June 1986 (age 40)	94	0	Unattached
12	1GK	Márcio Rosa	(1997-02-23) 23 February 1997 (age 29)	11	0	Montana
23	1GK	CJ dos Santos	(2000-08-24) 24 August 2000 (age 25)	1	0	San Diego
2	2DF	Stopira	(1988-05-20) 20 May 1988 (age 38)	61	4	Torreense
3	2DF	Diney Borges	(1995-01-17) 17 January 1995 (age 31)	36	2	Al Bataeh
4	2DF	Pico Lopes	(1992-06-17) 17 June 1992 (age 34)	49	0	Shamrock Rovers
5	2DF	Logan Costa	(2001-04-01) 1 April 2001 (age 25)	28	0	Villarreal
13	2DF	Sidny Lopes Cabral	(2003-09-18) 18 September 2003 (age 22)	14	4	Trabzonspor
22	2DF	Steven Moreira	(1994-08-13) 13 August 1994 (age 31)	24	0	Columbus Crew
24	2DF	Wagner Pina	(2002-11-03) 3 November 2002 (age 23)	15	0	Trabzonspor
25	2DF	Kelvin Pires	(2000-06-05) 5 June 2000 (age 26)	6	1	SJK
6	3MF	Kevin Pina	(1997-01-27) 27 January 1997 (age 29)	35	4	Krasnodar
7	3MF	Jovane Cabral	(1998-06-14) 14 June 1998 (age 28)	31	3	Unattached
8	3MF	João Paulo	(1998-05-26) 26 May 1998 (age 28)	43	1	FCSB
10	3MF	Jamiro Monteiro	(1993-11-23) 23 November 1993 (age 32)	59	5	Unattached
11	3MF	Garry Rodrigues (third captain)	(1990-11-27) 27 November 1990 (age 35)	63	10	Apollon Limassol
14	3MF	Deroy Duarte	(1999-07-04) 4 July 1999 (age 27)	37	1	Ludogorets Razgrad
15	3MF	Laros Duarte	(1997-02-28) 28 February 1997 (age 29)	24	1	Puskás Akadémia
16	3MF	Yannick Semedo	(1995-12-29) 29 December 1995 (age 30)	13	1	Unattached
18	3MF	Telmo Arcanjo	(2001-06-21) 21 June 2001 (age 25)	18	1	Vitória de Guimarães
26	3MF	Hélio Varela	(2002-05-03) 3 May 2002 (age 24)	24	1	Maccabi Tel Aviv
9	4FW	Gilson Benchimol	(2001-12-29) 29 December 2001 (age 24)	23	6	Akron Tolyatti
17	4FW	Willy Semedo	(1994-04-27) 27 April 1994 (age 32)	41	3	Unattached
19	4FW	Dailon Livramento	(2001-05-04) 4 May 2001 (age 25)	25	7	Hellas Verona
20	4FW	Ryan Mendes (captain)	(1990-01-08) 8 January 1990 (age 36)	102	22	Unattached
21	4FW	Nuno da Costa	(1991-02-10) 10 February 1991 (age 35)	13	2	İstanbul Başakşehir

Team Achievements: Records and Honours

Most Games Played

These players have played the most matches for Cape Verde.

Ryan Mendes is Cape Verde's top goalscorer and their most capped player.

Top Goal Scorers

These players have scored the most goals for Cape Verde.

Tournament History: World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations

Cape Verde has made great strides in international football. They qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2026, reaching the Round of 32. They have also qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations four times, reaching the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2023.

Honours and Trophies

The team has won some regional tournaments:

• Amílcar Cabral Cup
  • Champions (1): 2000
  • Runners-up (1): 2007
  • Third place (1): 1995
• Lusofonia Games
  • Champions (1): 2009
  • Third place (1): 2006
• FIFA Series (1): 2024 Saudi Arabia A

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Cabo Verde para niños