Where is Cape Verde? Cabo Verde with half a million population make historic FIFA World Cup 2026 debut versus Spain

World Cup 2026 - Spain vs Cape Verde: Cape Verde or Cabo Verde was the second of four teams to make their FIFA World Cup debut this edition, after Curacao faced Germany on Sunday. The little footballing nation has taken a giant leap by securing a goalless draw against the European soccer powerhouse Spain in tournament opener for both teams in this year's quadrennial marquee football event. Spain enter the World Cup second in the FIFA World Rankings. They won the 2023 Nations League Final and 2024 European Championship under de la Fuente. In the World Cup, though, Spain have not advanced to the quarterfinals after winning the title in 2010. Cape Verde is currently ranked 67 in the FIFA rankings. Jordan and Uzbekistan are the other two nations who are playing their maiden football world cup this year.

Spain vs Cape Verde Highlights

Cape Verde pulled off a World Cup shock by holding Spain to a 0-0 draw in the opening game of Group H on Monday, where ‌the European ⁠champions ⁠and one of the tournament favourites could find no way past the debutants and their keeper Vozinha. Despite dominating possession, Spain's first real threat came late in the opening half when Ferran Torres ⁠somehow smashed ‌a close-range shot off the bar and Cape Verde keeper ⁠Vozinha tipped over Mikel Oyarzabal's header from the rebound.



Vozinha also denied Torres and Aymeric Laporte to keep the game goalless at the break and even the introduction of winger Lamine Yamal failed to inspire Spain ‌to victory. A dogged Cape Verde side held on for a famous point in their first-ever ⁠World Cup game and even created late chances of their own as they threatened to cause an even bigger upset. The other two teams in Group H, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, meet in Miami later on Monday.

Cape Verde Location, Population

Cape Verde or Cabo Verde national football team from an archipelago off the coast of Senegal with about 550,000 inhabitants last year became the second-least populous nation to reach the World Cup, after Iceland, with just over 350,000, at Russia 2018. At the time of their qualification last October, Cape Verde were the second- smallest country by land area and the third-smallest by population to qualify, until Curacao topped them in both categories. Praia is the capital city of Cape Verde or (officially Cabo Verde).



Cape Verde is a 10-island archipelago nation off the west coast of Africa. It's been a meteoric rise for the Blue Sharks, who have been trying to qualify for the World Cup since before the 2002 event.



"Taking part in the World Cup is something that we probably ‌never imagined happening so soon," Cape Verde left back Stopira told FIFA. "Our people would always wait until the World Cup came around and then choose who they would support. But now they'll have the pleasure of cheering on their own country," he said prior to the World Cup 2026 co-hosted by U. S, Mexico and Canada.

Cape Verde's team represents 14 countries in domestic play. The squad's only player in ⁠a top-five European league, Villarreal defender Logan Costa, made the roster despite playing just 14 minutes this past season after an ACL tear in August.



Cape Verde spread the national team net wide with three starters based in Portugal and one each in the United States, Republic of Ireland, UAE, Romania, Russia, Netherlands, Turkey and Cyprus.