Cabo Verde President José Maria Neves has congratulated the national football team, the Blue Sharks, as he led celebrations after the country secured a historic place at the FIFA World Cup.
The team from an archipelago off the coast of Senegal has about 550,000 inhabitants, making Cabo Verde the country with the smallest population to represent Africa in the global showpiece.
President Neves, who joined more than 15,000 fans at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, was visibly moved as the Blue Sharks delivered a performance that sent waves of celebration across the archipelago and among Cabo Verde’s vast global diaspora.
Goals from Dilan Livramento, Willy Semedo, and veteran defender Stopira sealed a commanding 3–0 victory over Eswatini, confirming Cabo Verde’s top finish in Group D with 23 points, four ahead of Cameroon, who now proceed to the playoffs in November.
At full-time, President Neves received a symbolic qualification ticket from FIFA officials, marking an unforgettable milestone in the same year Cabo Verde celebrates 50 years of independence.
‘Great moment’
In a jubilant message to the nation, shared on his official page, President Neves described the qualification as “another great moment for the Cabo Verdean global nation” and a powerful symbol of how far the country has come since independence in 1975.
“Every day, we’re building independence,” he said. “By clinching a place in the World Cup, we’ve shown that Cabo Verde is a country of possibilities - a people who trust themselves and thrive on hope.”
He called the qualification “a new independence,” and extended his gratitude to the Cabo Verde Football Federation (FCF), its president Mário Semedo, head coach Bubista, and the players for their belief.
He also thanked Cabo Verdeans at home and across the diaspora for their unwavering support, noting that messages of congratulations had poured in from world leaders and citizens across continents.
“Cabo Verde is massive! Together we go far. We are unbeatable,” he wrote.
Calling it “a celebration of an entire people under the watchful eye of the world,” President Neves said the moment belonged to every Cabo Verdean- on the islands and abroad.
