Cape Verde national football team

Cape Verde is represented on the international football stage by its national team, governed by the Cape Verdean Football Federation.

In 2013, the team qualified for the finals of the African Cup of Nations for the first time in its history, where it successfully advanced to the knockout stage.

The team was on the verge of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but missed out on the opportunity due to a technical defeat in the decisive match against Tunisia. Although the game ended in a 2-0 victory for Cape Verde, the result was annulled due to the participation of a suspended player.

On October 13, 2025, the team qualified for the World Cup finals for the first time. The team finished first in its group, beating rivals Cameroon.

This makes Cape Verde the second-smallest country by population to participate in the World Cup. The only smaller country is Iceland, whose team competed in the 2018 World Championship in Russia.