African team, with 500 thousand inhabitants, becomes the smallest nation to compete in the knockout stages of the World Cup
Cape Verde secured a place in the 2nd phase of the tournament and became the smallest country in the world to compete in the knockout stages of the tournament. A and will face Argentina in the next phase.
The African archipelago has around 500 thousand inhabitants and 4,000 km² of territory. The historic classification was confirmed this Saturday (June 27, 2026), during the World Cup held in the United States.
The feat is unprecedented in world football. Cape Verde surpasses two recent precedents: Iceland, which competed in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, with an estimated population of 400 thousand inhabitants, and Curação, which participates in the 2026 edition with around 180 thousand residents. Neither country advanced to the round of 16. The Blue Tubarões, as the Cape Verde team is known, broke that mark by reaching the knockout stage for the first time.
According to FIFA, the history of the Cape Verde team began in 1978. Almost five decades later, the country achieved its first qualification for a World Cup and has already reached the knockout stage in its debut in the tournament.
“We demonstrate that nothing is impossible”
The impact of the classification goes beyond the archipelago. It is estimated that around 1.5 million Cape Verdeans live in other countries, a number higher than the resident population, according to the local newspaper Express of the Islands. Cape Verde became independent from Portugal in 1975.
Coach Bubista celebrated the result and stated that the campaign serves as an inspiration for countries with lesser expression in football. “We are an example. Little ones can also achieve big goals, as long as they have focus, determination and organization. We demonstrate that nothing is impossible”he declared.
