Cape Verde have qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history.
They beat Eswatini 3-0 to confirm their ticket to the global finals, ensuring top spot in Group D ahead of African powerhouses Cameroon.
A country of just over 500,000 people, Cape Verde have become the second-least populous nation to reach the World Cup, after Iceland at Russia 2018.
After a tense first half against Eswatini, Cape Verde turned on the style after the break, with goals from Dailon Livramento, Willy Semedo and Stopira sparking scenes of joyous celebration at Estadio Nacional de Cabo Verde.
In terms of area, at just over 4,000 km² Cape Verde is the smallest nation to qualify for the tournament.
Trinidad and Tobago previously held the record having competed at Germany 2006.
Expertly coached by former Cape Verde international Bubista, they have displayed quality, spirit and resilience throughout their historic campaign.
Their success has been built on the foundation of a solid, well-drilled defence and they have recorded seven clean sheets across their ten group games.
Cape Verde’s history-making campaign included a superb run of five successive victories, which culminated in a famous 1-0 home win against Cameroon last month.
That gave them the opportunity to qualify with victory over Libya on Friday, but they had to settle for a point after battling back from 3-1 down.
They still had qualification in their own hands, however, and completed the job by overcoming Eswatini.
Cape Verde will discover their FIFA World Cup 26 group-stage opponents when the draw takes place in Washington DC on 5 December.
