Black Excellence: Cape Verde World Cup Soccer Team
https://www.npr.org/2026/05/10/nx-s1-5796264/cape-verde-tiny-nation-massive-world-cup-dream
PRAIA—Cape Verde may be small, but its soccer World Cup dream is huge. With just over half a million people, it’s one of the tiniest countries ever to qualify for the tournament.
From the volcanic islands of the Atlantic, the team—known as the Blue Sharks—are chasing history. This summer, they’ll play in the World Cup for the first time ever—one of the smallest nations by population to make it.
The island nation off the coast of West Africa isn’t just showing up at this summer’s World Cup—it’s competing with ambition far bigger than its geography suggests.