Cape Verde's national team secured a historic qualification for the 2026 World Cup after defeating Eswatini 3-0 at home on Monday.
The island nation thus became the second smallest country by population to ever reach the World Cup – after Iceland, who made their debut in 2018.
The expanded format of the tournament to 48 teams, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico, has opened up new opportunities for smaller nations and Cape Verde has made the most of them.
The team, ranked 70th in the world, finished top of Group D, ahead of African giants Cameroon, who will have to go through intercontinental playoffs to secure their ninth World Cup.
The goals for the “Blue Sharks” historic success were the work of Daylon Livramento, Willy Semedo and Stopira. With this triumph, Cape Verde not only earned a ticket to the World Cup, but also wrote a golden page in the country's history.