Overview

• A 3-0 win over Eswatini sealed qualification for the 2026 tournament.
• The team finished first in African qualifying Group A ahead of continental power Cameroon to earn an automatic place.
• With about 525,000 people, it ranks as the second-smallest qualifier since 1930, behind Iceland’s 2018 team.
• Of the nations already qualified for 2026 in the United States, Mexico and Canada, it is by far the smallest by population.
• Cape Verde has appeared at the Africa Cup of Nations four times, reaching the quarterfinals in 2013 and 2023.