Cape Verde beat Eswatini 3–0 to clinch a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They become the second-smallest nation to qualify, the first African debutant since Togo and Angola in 2006, and the 14th African nation to qualify in the competition’s history.

The country has slowly been making strides in football, qualifying for the African Cup of Nations for the first time in 2013 and reaching the quarter-finals twice—in 2013 and 2023. For head coach Bubista this adds another jewel to his crown (they have a 50% win rate under him at the time of writing) as well as Ryan Mendes, Cape Verde’s most-capped player and top goalscorer, getting a taste of World Cup finals glory.

Leave a Reply