Cape Verde
CPV · CAF
Head Coach
Bubista
Bubista leads Cape Verde into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, tasked with guiding the squad through a competitive Group H and beyond. The coaching staff has been preparing tactical approaches tailored to the expanded 48-team tournament format.
Group Stage Venue
Miami
Cape Verde will play their group stage matches in Miami. The 2026 World Cup is the first to be hosted across three nations — the United States, Mexico, and Canada — with matches spread across 16 world-class venues.
Squad (26 players)
Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
Forwards
Recent Form & Current State
Cape Verde qualified through CAF qualification, a historic achievement for the island nation. Under coach Bubista, the Blue Sharks have been one of Africa's rising forces. They reached the AFCON 2023 quarterfinals and have consistently punched above their weight.
Form heading into a major tournament is often a key indicator of how far a team can progress. Cape Verde, currently ranked #69 in the FIFA World Rankings, will look to carry momentum from their recent qualifying and friendly campaigns into the group stage. Consistency in results and squad cohesion built during the qualification cycle will be vital assets. The CAFrepresentatives will be eager to demonstrate their quality on the world's biggest stage in 2026.
World Cup History
This will be Cape Verde's first ever World Cup appearance. The island nation with a population of roughly 600,000 has risen through the FIFA rankings dramatically. Their qualification is one of the great underdog stories of the 2026 World Cup cycle.
The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of international football, and Cape Verde's history in the competition provides important context for their 2026 campaign. With the tournament expanding to 48 teams for the first time, every nation faces both new opportunities and new challenges in the revamped group stage format featuring groups of four with the top two advancing to a 32-team knockout round. Cape Verde will aim to write a new chapter in their World Cup story at this historic edition of the tournament.
Group H Opponents
Cape Verde faces Spain and Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H. The top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 32. Group dynamics, head-to-head records, and tactical matchups will all play a role in determining which teams progress from this stage.