The Cape Verde national football team

The Cape Verde national football team — known in Portuguese as Cabo Verde and nicknamed the Blue Sharks (Tubarões Azuis) — is one of the most remarkable stories in world football. From a small Atlantic archipelago of roughly half a million people, the team qualified for its first-ever World Cup in 2026.

Who are the Blue Sharks?

Cape Verde competes as a member of CAF (the Confederation of African Football). For most of its history it was a minor side, but a steady rise over the last fifteen years turned it into a genuine competitor — first at the Africa Cup of Nations, and finally on the world stage.

World Cup history

2026 marked Cape Verde’s debut at a FIFA World Cup. They sealed qualification in October 2025, and at the tournament itself produced results that made headlines worldwide — including a goalless draw with reigning European champions Spain.

AFCON record

Cape Verde first qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and reached the quarter-finals on debut. They returned to the last eight at the 2023 edition, recording the country’s first-ever AFCON knockout win along the way.

Why the diaspora matters

A large share of the squad was born or developed abroad — in Portugal, the Netherlands, France, Ireland and beyond — to families of Cape Verdean heritage. This diaspora pipeline is the single biggest reason a nation this small can field a competitive international side. We explore it in detail in our guide to the Cape Verdean football diaspora.

Football culture at home

Football is followed passionately across the islands, from the National Stadium near Praia on Santiago to neighbourhood pitches in Mindelo on São Vicente. If the Blue Sharks are what brought you here, the islands they come from are well worth a visit — start with our São Vicente and Santiago guides.