Cabo Verde at Their First World Cup: Bubista Names the Blue Sharks 26, Ryan Mendes Captains
Pedro "Bubista" Brito has named Cabo Verde's 26-man squad for their debut World Cup. The Atlantic archipelago of just over half a million people are one of the smallest nations ever to reach the finals. Captain Ryan Mendes leads, Dailon Livramento finished qualifying as top scorer. Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia.
C abo Verde are at their first ever FIFA World Cup. Head coach Pedro "Bubista" Brito has named the 26-man squad for the debut tournament, with captain Ryan Mendes leading a roster drawn from clubs across ten different countries. With a population of just over half a million, the West African archipelago is one of the smallest nations ever to qualify for a World Cup.
A continental stage that built the squad
The Blue Sharks reach the World Cup on the back of a long climb. Cabo Verde have qualified for four of the last six Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and reached the quarter-finals twice over that run, establishing themselves as one of the continent's consistently competitive sides rather than a one-off result. Bubista carried that same group through the CAF qualifying cycle to the historic first.
Mendes, Livramento and Pico
Ryan Mendes, now at Iğdır in Turkey, is the figure who sets the tone of the squad and one of the most-capped players in the country's history. Dailon Livramento (Casa Pia) was the team's reliable scorer in qualifying with four goals and is supported up top by Jovane Cabral (Estrela Amadora) and the veteran Garry Rodrigues. Ireland-born defender Roberto "Pico" Lopes anchors the back line out of Shamrock Rovers. Goalkeeper Vozinha returns at GD Chaves alongside Márcio da Rosa and US-based Carlos Santos.
Group H fixtures
Cabo Verde open against Spain on June 15 in Atlanta, then face Uruguay on June 21 in Miami and close the group against Saudi Arabia on June 26 in Houston. The opener against Spain is the marquee, but the closing match against Saudi Arabia is the more realistic target for a first World Cup point. Either result would extend the historic year for the smallest African nation ever to reach a finals.