Cape Verde finished second in Group H at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, progressing to the round of 32 after three draws. Their final group match was a 0-0 draw against Saudi Arabia on June 26, 2026, which secured their spot in the knockout stage [1, 2, 3].

Coach Bubista, a former national team captain born in Boa Vista, Cape Verde, has managed the team since 2020. He assembled a squad with players from 14 different countries and emphasized hard work, discipline, team spirit, organization, and mental strength as key to their success [1, 4, 3, 5, 6]. Bubista described the achievement as "a bit of a shock, although we'd always had it in mind that we might reach this stage after the first two matches." He added, "We're a small country, but we fight for what we want to achieve. For us, nothing is impossible" [1].

Cape Verde defied expectations by holding Spain to a draw and eliminating former World Cup winners Uruguay from the group, signaling that they were not just participants. They awaited Spain’s 1-0 win over Uruguay on June 26 to confirm their progression [1, 4, 2, 3, 5, 6]. Bubista said, "The key? Our team's unity and resilience. We've always talked about our organisation, but also about our determination to do things without fear" [1].

With a population of around 500,000, Cape Verde is the smallest country by population to reach the World Cup knockout stage [4, 2, 5]. Bubista, born in 1970, grew up in Boa Vista with limited resources and watched early World Cups on the only TV in his village. He played professional football in Spain’s second tier, Angola, and Portugal before returning home and making his national team debut at 30, eventually earning 16 caps and captaining the side [4, 5, 6].

Bubista said of the team's effort, "I'm proud of what they've achieved. To finish the first phase without losing a single match, we have to be pleased. It was down to organisation and team spirit. Our fans deserve all of this" [1]. He added, "We have shown that nothing is impossible. We have represented our country but we also represent Africa and small countries around the world" [2].

Cape Verde will face defending champions Argentina in the round of 32 on June 27, 2026, in Miami. Bubista noted, "We will play our game with attitude and responsibility, knowing that Argentina have some of the best players in the world plus Messi, who some believe is the best of all time" [2].