Cape Verde made history on Monday, qualifying for its first-ever FIFA World Cup with a 3-0 win over Eswatini in the African qualifiers. The island nation — with a population of barely 600,000 — became the second-smallest country ever to reach football’s biggest stage. Iceland, which featured at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, is the only country with a smaller population to qualify for the global showpiece.
Satisfying campaign
Dailon Livramento broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half, before Willy Semedo doubled the lead soon after. Substitute Stopira sealed the result deep into stoppage time to spark jubilant scenes in Praia.
The Blue Sharks topped Group D with 23 points from 10 matches, winning seven and losing just once.
ALSO READ: England’s Millie Bright retires from international football
They could have sealed qualification earlier, but a 3-3 draw against Libya last week delayed the celebrations. This time, there was no slip.
Published on Oct 13, 2025
