Cape Verde marks debut for 2026 FIFA World Cup

The upcoming 2026 World Cup sees more debutants: following Uzbekistan and Jordan, the national football team of Cape Verde has secured a spot in the tournament, becoming the 22nd team to qualify.

In the final match of the African qualification phase in Group D, Cape Verde swept the national team of Eswatini with a 3–0 scoreline. The goals were scored by Dailon Livramento (48’) from the Portuguese club Casa Pia A.C., Willy Semedo (54’) from Cypriot Omonia, and Stopira (90+1’) from Portuguese S.C.U. Torreense.

With this victory, the Cape Verdean team overtook Cameroon in the standings — a national team that has qualified for the World Cup eight times.

Cape Verde is the smallest country to qualify for the tournament in terms of area (4,033 square kilometers) and has a population of about 600,000. Only Iceland, with around 370,000 people, has a smaller population among past participants.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. It will be the first edition featuring 48 national teams representing six confederations.

The participation quotas are as follows: 16 for Europe, 9.5 for Africa, 8.5 for Asia, 6.5 each for CONMEBOL and CONCACAF and 1.5 for Oceania. The decimals indicate spots allocated through intercontinental playoffs.

As of today, 22 participants are confirmed: Australia, Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Ghana, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Cape Verde, Canada, Colombia, Morocco, Mexico, New Zealand, Paraguay, Tunisia, Uzbekistan, Uruguay, the U.S., Ecuador, South Korea and Japan.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw is scheduled for Dec. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C.

Previously, FIFA unveiled the official ball and mascots for the tournament.