Small nations, big dreams: Cape Verde joins football’s biggest stage

South Africa would dearly like to join the World Cup party, but on Tuesday night they face a monumental task. 

Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana must beat Rwanda at home and then hope that Nigeria can halt Benin in Uyo to keep World Cup qualification alive. Until then, South Africans can only watch the celebrations of other nations already punching their tickets for the 2026 finals.

One country making headlines is Cape Verde. The wind-swept West African archipelago has qualified for the FIFA 2026 World Cup for the first time, topping Group D after a commanding 3-0 win over Eswatini on Monday in Praia. 

The result capped a remarkable campaign that saw Cape Verde finish four points clear of Cameroon, whose eight previous World Cup appearances are the most among African nations.

A comeback crowned in Praia

Cape Verde overcame first-half nerves to take control in the second half. Dailon Livramento opened the scoring three minutes after the restart, capitalising on Eswatini’s failure to clear the ball. Just six minutes later, Willy Semedo doubled the lead with a tap-in, and the game was effectively settled.

But the most remarkable moment came late. Veteran defender Stopíra, 37, had returned from retirement only a few months prior after stepping away from international football in June 2024. Called back in September 2025 to address defensive injuries and inconsistency, he not only anchored the backline but also scored the third goal in stoppage time.

“I just wanted to help the team,” Stopíra said afterwards, visibly emotional. “To see Cape Verde at the World Cup is a dream come true — for all of us.”

The stadium erupted as the small nation, with a population of just 600,000, celebrated its first-ever qualification for football’s biggest stage. Citizens across the islands had been given the day off to support the team, and after the first-half tension, the celebrations were impossible to contain.

Cape Verde’s place among football’s smallest nations

Cape Verde joins Iceland as one of the smallest countries ever to qualify for the World Cup. Iceland, with a population of just over 350,000, reached the 2018 tournament in Russia after its historic run at the 2016 European Championship, where it eliminated England in the quarter-finals. Iceland drew with Argentina but lost to Croatia and Nigeria, finishing last in its group.

Other small nations include Paraguay, with a population under 1 million when it debuted in 1930, and Trinidad and Tobago, which reached the 2006 tournament with 1.3 million inhabitants, drawing with Sweden but losing to England and Paraguay. 

Northern Ireland, with 1.4 million people, made its World Cup debut in 1958 and later returned in 1982 and 1986. Cape Verde now becomes part of this select group, representing the potential for tiny nations to make a global mark.

The wider African picture

Cape Verde’s achievement also highlights the competitiveness of African qualifying groups. Cameroon, held to a goalless draw by Angola, will likely advance to the play-offs for the four best runners-up across the nine African qualifying groups, but were jeered by fans in Yaoundé after failing to secure a victory. Meanwhile, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, and Ghana have already booked their places, leaving Cape Verde as the newest African representative at next year’s finals in North America.

South Africa’s challenge

For South Africa, the question remains whether it can join this party. Bafana Bafana’s fate depends not only on their own performance against Rwanda in Mbombela but also on Nigeria’s result against Benin. The stakes are high: a win at home combined with a favourable outcome in Uyo could keep the nation’s World Cup hopes alive.

Until that opportunity arrives, South Africans can watch Cape Verde celebrate a historic milestone, spurred on by a veteran’s remarkable return, and reflect on the precedent set by other small nations that have stepped onto football’s biggest stage. 

As the islanders enjoy their fairytale, Bafana Bafana will be reminded that the World Cup party is within reach — if they can rise to the challenge.