Khaberni - Cape Verde reached the finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history on Monday, becoming the second smallest country in terms of population to reach the global event on its seventh attempt, after recruiting players from the professional site "LinkedIn".
The new World Cup system that allows 48 teams to qualify instead of 32 starting from 2026, opened the door for new teams to reach the finals for the first time in their history. This was done by Jordan and Uzbekistan from Asia, followed by Cape Verde.
Cape Verde joined the teams from Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, and Ghana from the continent of Africa, with at least three other teams expected to qualify with them.
The archipelago, with a population of less than 550,000 and located in the Atlantic Ocean off the west coast of the continent, became the second smallest country in terms of population to reach the finals after Iceland in 2018.
Coach Pedro Brito "Bobishta", who was a professional in the Portuguese league at the beginning of the millennium with Estoril said, "It is a victory for all the people of Cape Verde, to make these people happy is a great thing. And above all, a victory for those who fought for our independence".
He added: It is a special moment in our celebration of the 50th anniversary of our independence.
