Cape Verde books history-making ticket to 2026 FIFA World Cup
The small archipelago nation of Cape Verde has booked a place at the FIFA World Cup for the first time in history. Here’s why the victory means so much for the small African country of 550,000
READING LEVEL: GREEN
A tiny African nation with a population of just 550,000 has qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the very first time.
The archipelago* nation of Cape Verde will play in the 2026 World Cup finals, to be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, after they beat Eswatini* 3-0.
A carnival-like atmosphere erupted in the streets of Cape Verde’s capital Praia after the victory on Monday this week.
Honking horns and street fireworks greeted euphoric* fans streaming out of the Cape Verde National Stadium, while people danced in the street to the sound of reggae tunes and local funana* music.
It was “an incredible moment”, 37-year-old fan Jorge Junior Livramento told AFP near the stadium.
“I don’t have words. I was at the stadium and I supported our team unconditionally*,” he said.
Congratulating Cape Verde’s Blue Sharks on their “historic moment”, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the win was likely to “power a new generation of football lovers” across the nation.
Cape Verde, located off the coast of Senegal, has become the country with the smallest population to represent Africa in the World Cup.
It has also become the second-least populous* nation to reach the World Cup, after Iceland, a country of just over 350,000 citizens, played at the 2018 World Cup in Russia
“I shouted a lot during the match and now my voice is bad, but I am happy,” Praia resident Jose Vieira told AFP after the victory, which he watched live in the stadium.
The celebrations continued into the night, with a concert at Praia’s municipal stadium featuring local artists such as Djodje and Soraia Ramos.
Blue Sharks Coach Pedro “Bubista” Brito told the press that “giving this happiness to these people is enormous”, adding that “it’s a victory for all the Cape Verdean people”.
Cape Verde won Group D with 23 points, four more than Cameroon, which holds the African record for World Cup appearances with eight outings. Cameroon drew 0-0 with Angola in Cameroon’s capital Yaounde.
An archipelago of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Verde gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and first attempted to reach the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.
“It’s a special moment in this celebration of the 50th anniversary of our independence,” coach Bubista said.
“It’s a victory for all the Cape Verdean people and, above all, a victory for those who fought for our independence.”
On the island of Sao Vicente, local trader and entrepreneur Doris Da Luz told AFP that she was “very proud”.
“It’s a fight we’ve been trying to achieve for a long time and finally coach Bubista managed to get us there”, said Ms Da Luz, dressed in the team’s blue.
The team reached the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on their debut in 2013 and again in 2023 and are currently ranked 70th in the world.
“It’s time to celebrate,” 39-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha told reporters. He said that he had “been dreaming of this moment since I was a child”.
Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Cape Verde have now won groups and filled six of the nine places automatically reserved for Africa at the 2026 World Cup.
Fan Jose Jorge Borges, a 60-year-old journalist, told AFP in Praia it was a very memorable moment for Cape Verdeans.
“The emotions are visible and difficult to describe”, he said.
FROM PORTUGUESE TO INDEPENDENCE
Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony from 1462 until its independence in 1975. Portuguese navigators discovered the islands in 1456 and settled the island of Santiago in 1462, founding the oldest European city in the tropics, Ribeira Grande, which is now known as Cidade Velha.
Sugar and cotton plantations were set up and the transatlantic slave trade*, where African slaves were traded against their will for goods and forced to work in plantations, was instrumental in the city’s success.
African slaves were also shipped to the Caribbean, North Africa and Brazil from Cape Verde.
The slave trade ended in 1876 and, aside from experiencing some prosperity during the steam age*, many of the poorer inhabitants struggled to find work.
In 1951 Cape Verde was changed to an overseas province rather than a colony and in 1961 its inhabitants were granted full Portuguese citizenship.
Full independence was achieved in 1975 after an African group, the PAICV*, successfully staged a military coup.
WHO’S IN CHARGE NOW?
Cape Verde is now an independent country, holding democratic elections of its own. Centre-left* candidate Jose Maria Neves of the PAICV became president after winning the October 2021 election, ending a 10-year presidency by the centre-right* MPD* party.
President Neves previously served as prime minister from 2000-2016 when his party was last in power. Since becoming president, he has focused on rebuilding stability in the economy after the Covid-19 pandemic caused a recession* in the largely tourism-driven nation.
The PAICV and the MPD have been the two main political parties in power since Cape Verde gained independence, alternating in governance since multi-party democracy was introduced in 1991.
POLL
GLOSSARY
- archipelago: a large group of islands
- Eswatini: a country in southern Africa that is bordered by South Africa and Mozambique
- euphoric: filled with joy and happiness
- funana: an accordion based music born in Santiago that symbolises energy and resilience. It was once forbidden during colonial rule by the Portuguese
- unconditionally: without expecting anything back in return and having no strings attached
- populous: the size of the population
- transatlantic slave trade: the forced capture and trade of African people as slaves by several European countries from the 16th to the 19th century. An estimated 10 million to 12 million enslaved Africans were forcibly transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas during this time
- steam age: a period in history, during the 18th and 19th centuries, when steam engines became the main power source, transforming production, transport, industry and everyday life
- PAICV: African Party for the Independence of Cabo Verde, a democratic socialist political party in Cape Verde and the only political party between 1981 and 1990 before multi-party democracy was introduced
- centre-left: a form of political ideology that is just left of the middle ground, supporting things like social democracy, multiculturalism, welfare capitalism and higher taxes for the rich
- centre-right: political ideology that is just right of the middle, supporting a liberal democracy, a small welfare state and businesses being mostly owned by private companies and individuals
- MPD: Movement for Democracy, a Christian Democratic Party in Cape Verde that was created in 1990 and ruled from 1991 to 2001 and again from 2016 till 2021
- recession: a six-month period of decline in a country’s economy
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QUICK QUIZ
When was Cape Verde granted independence?
How was slavery involved in its history?
In what year did Cape Verde first attempt to reach the World Cup?
How many islands make up Cape Verde?
What is the population of Cape Verde?
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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Cheer them on!
Write a special chant, cheer or song for the Cape Verde fans to sing to cheer their players on at the World Cup. Your song or chant must be about how special and important it is for Cape Verde that their team is part of the World Cup.
Time: allow at least 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English
2. Extension
Is the FIFA World Cup the biggest sporting event in the world? What evidence do you think you would you need to answer this question? Write a list of the types of information that would help you. Then, use your research skills to find the information and write a report on this question.
Time: allow at least 45 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education
VCOP ACTIVITY
Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of the audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.
Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.
Read out your headlines to a partner and discuss what the article will be about based on the headline you created. Discuss the tone and mood you set in just your few, short words. Does it do the article justice? Will it capture the audience’s attention the way you hoped? Would you want to read more?
Consider how a headline or title is similar to using short, sharp sentences throughout your text. They can be just as important as complex ones. Go through the last text you wrote and highlight any short, sharp sentences that capture the audience.