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Cape Verde national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Cape Verde women's national football team.

Cape Verde
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)Tubarões Azuis
(Blue Sharks)[1]
Crioulos (Creoles)
AssociationFederação Caboverdiana de Futebol (FCF)
ConfederationCAF (Africa)
Sub-confederationWAFU (West Africa)
Head coachBubista
CaptainVozinha
Most capsRyan Mendes (92)
Top scorerRyan Mendes (22)[2]
Home stadiumEstádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
FIFA codeCPV
First colours
Second colours
Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current 70 Increase 3 (18 September 2025)[3]
Highest27 (February 2014)
Lowest182 (April 2000)
First international
 Cape Verde 0–1 Guinea 
(Guinea-Bissau; 19 April 1978)
Biggest win
 Cape Verde 7–1 São Tomé and Príncipe 
(Praia, Cape Verde; 13 June 2015)
 Liechtenstein 0–6 Cape Verde 
(San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain; 25 March 2022)
Biggest defeat
 Senegal 5–1 Cape Verde 
(Mali; 12 February 1981)
 Cape Verde 0–4 Ghana 
(Praia, Cape Verde; 8 October 2005)
 Guinea 4–0 Cape Verde 
(Conakry, Guinea; 9 September 2007)
 Burkina Faso 4–0 Cape Verde 
(Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso; 14 November 2017)
 Algeria 5–1 Cape Verde 
(Constantine, Algeria; 12 October 2023)
World Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2026)
Best resultTBD (2026)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances4 (first in 2013)
Best resultQuarter-finals (2013, 2023)

The Cape Verde national football team (Portuguese: Seleção nacional de futebol de Cabo Verde; recognized as Cabo Verde by FIFA[5]), represents Cape Verde in men's international football, and is controlled by the Cape Verdean Football Federation. The team is nicknamed Tubarões Azuis (Blue Sharks in Portuguese). The national team played its first match on 19 April 1978 against Guinea, a match they lost 1–0. Following the federation's affiliation with the Confederation of African Football and FIFA in 1982, the national team entered the Africa Cup of Nations qualification for the first time in 1992 and made its first FIFA World Cup qualification in 2003.

The Crioulos, as they are also known, play the majority of its home matches at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde. They qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time 2013. Since then, they have qualified in 2015, 2021 and 2023, and their best achievement was reaching the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2023. Cape Verde finished 2021 ranked 73rd in the world according to the FIFA rankings. The team is coached by Pedro Leitão Brito.

Cape Verde qualified to the FIFA World Cup for the first time for the 2026 edition. By doing so, they became the second-smallest[a] nation to qualify for the World Cup with a population of just under 525,000.[6]

History

[edit]

Overview

[edit]

Cape Verde became independent from Portugal in 1975. The national team's first international was a 1–0 defeat to Guinea on 29 May 1978, in a tournament in Guinea-Bissau.[7] The Cape Verdean Football Federation was formed in 1982, and joined FIFA in 1986.[8]

Cape Verdeans abroad, who are more numerous than the population of the islands themselves, are a major source of players for the national team. Most of Cape Verde's current international footballers play outside Cape Verde (mainly in Europe, but also in Asia), and some were born outside the islands.[9]

Several players of Cape Verdean origin have chosen to play for other national teams. These include Eliseu, Nani, Oceano, Manuel Fernandes, Rolando, Nélson Marcos, Jorge Andrade, Miguel and Silvestre Varela, who all represent Portugal, as well as Mickaël Tavares, Jacques and Ricardo Faty (Senegal), Patrick Vieira (France), Gelson Fernandes (Switzerland), Henrik Larsson (Sweden), David Mendes da Silva, Lerin Duarte, Jerson Cabral (Netherlands) and Rui (Equatorial Guinea), among other examples.

FIFA World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifiers

[edit]

Cape Verde will qualify for the FIFA World Cup but have also qualified for the 2013 African Cup of Nations. Its first World Cup qualifying campaign was the 2002 World Cup qualifiers, in which Cape Verde was eliminated in the first round after one draw and one defeat against Algeria.[10]

In the qualification campaign for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the 2006 Africa Cup of Nations, Cape Verde advanced to the Final Round after its first victory in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier, beating Swaziland. In the Final Round, the team made an impression with its first-ever away victory against Burkina Faso, but finished fifth in its group and failed to qualify for either finals.[10]

Old coach João de Deus from Portugal brought in several new players from European leagues for the 2010 FIFA World Cup/2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.[9] Cape Verde finished second in its group in the Second round, ahead of Tanzania and Mauritius, but behind Cameroon, and did not advance to the Third round. Cape Verde's top goal scorer of the qualifying campaign was Dady.

Then, finally, Cape Verde qualified for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, after stunning Cameroon 3–2 on aggregate.

2013 Africa Cup of Nations

[edit]

On 14 October 2012, Cape Verde managed to secure their first ever berth in the Finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, when they defeated Cameroon 3–2 on aggregate score, following a 2–1 defeat to Cameroon at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé, having won the home leg 2–0 in Praia just weeks prior to their qualification.

On 24 October 2012, Cape Verde were drawn into Group A of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, alongside Angola, Morocco and the host nation South Africa. Furthermore, Cape Verde played the opening match of the tournament at Soccer City in Johannesburg, Gauteng, against South Africa on 19 January 2013. Pulled from the fourth pot during the group stage drawing of the tournament, Cape Verde actually had the highest FIFA ranking of any team in their group at the time of the drawing, ranking at 51st overall, followed by Morocco (71st), South Africa (72nd) and Angola (83rd). Cape Verde also had the 10th highest FIFA ranking in the CAF zone at the time of the drawing as well.

Cape Verde drew with South Africa 0–0 in the tournament's first match, before drawing with Morocco 1–1. Platini scored Cape Verde's first ever goal at the AFCON, who were unfortunate to let an early lead slip. They however did win their first ever AFCON match against Angola, which they won 2–1 (despite an early own goal by captain Nando Maria Neves), through the late goals from Fernando Varela and Héldon Ramos, thus qualifying for the quarter-finals, and thus reaching the last eight in their maiden appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations.

On 2 February 2013, Cape Verde faced Ghana in the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, in the quarter-finals of the tournament. Cape Verde played a good match, with 16 shots on Ghana's goal to their eight, with seven shots on target to their two, Cape Verde proved to be especially dangerous from set-pieces, however Ghana's keeper Abdul Dauda managed to keep a clean sheet making some spectacular saves, and with Mubarak Wakaso scoring a penalty kick for Ghana in the 54' minute, and then scoring again in the closing minute of the game (90+5') on an open goal, Ghana would win the match 2–0, to move on to the semi-finals, and ending Cape Verde's exceptional 2013 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.[11]

2015 Africa Cup of Nations

[edit]

On 15 October 2014, Cape Verde became the first of two nations to qualify for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations alongside Algeria, joining the host nation Equatorial Guinea after defeating Mozambique 1–0 at home.[12] The team, under newly appointed manager Rui Águas, picked up where Lúcio Antunes left off and managed to finish in the top two of the group stage with two matches remaining to play in the qualification process, having been drawn in a group together with Mozambique, Niger and Zambia.[13] On 15 November 2014, Cape Verde secured first place in their group, finishing as Group F winners by defeating Niger 3–1 at home, with one match remaining to play for qualification.[14]

Pooled from Pot 3 on 3 December 2014, Cape Verde were drawn into Group B of the final tournament, together with Zambia, Tunisia and DR Congo. On 18 January 2015 they played their first match against Tunisia at the Estadio de Ebibeyin. The match ended in a 1–1 draw, with Héldon leveling the score off a penalty kick in the 78-minute. Cape Verde then drew 0–0 against DR Congo four days later, with the advancement out of the group stage depending on the final match results of both teams.[15]

Facing off against Zambia on 26 January 2015, with both teams depending on the result of the other match between Tunisia and DR Congo and having to finish with a win themselves, the match ended in 0–0 draw, leaving both Cape Verde and Zambia eliminated from the Cup.[16] Contested during a tropical storm, with 26 mm of heavy rainfall, Cape Verde exited the tournament tied with DR Congo for points and undefeated, yet losing to DR Congo on goal difference. Exhibiting good form, poise and defensive prowess, the team were only able to score one goal, while exiting at the group stage of their second appearance in the finals of the tournament, while remaining unbeaten in any Cup of Nations group stage match.[17]

2023 Africa Cup of Nations – Group B

[edit]
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Cape Verde 3 2 1 0 7 3 +4 7 Advance to knockout stage
2  Egypt 3 0 3 0 6 6 0 3
3  Ghana 3 0 2 1 5 6 −1 2[b]
4  Mozambique 3 0 2 1 4 7 −3 2[b]
Source: CAF
Notes:
  1. ^ Iceland were the smallest nation in the 2018 edition.
  2. ^ a b Tied on head-to-head points. Overall goal difference: Ghana −1, Mozambique −3.

Cape Verde qualified for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and were drawn into Group B. They defeated Ghana 2–1 in the first group stage match when Garry Rodrigues scored a late match-winning goal in the second minute of stoppage time. In their second match, Cape Verde defeated Mozambique 3-0. This result, along with others in the group, meant that Cape Verde entered the final group match already having secured passage to the Knock-out stage as the winners of Group B. In the last group stage match, Cape Verde faced Egypt. After the Egypt had scored a go-ahead stoppage time goal, Bryan Teixeira equalised deep into stoppage time in the 90 + 9' to secure a 2–2 draw. In the Round of 16, Cape Verde faced Mauritania, and captain Ryan Mendes scored a crucial penalty in the 88' to send them to the quarter-final. There, Cape Verde faced South Africa. The match ended in a goalless draw after 120 minutes, thus sending it to penalties. However, Cape Verde were knocked out of the tournament after failing to convert four of their five penalty kicks, losing the shootout 1–2.

Other tournaments and notable matches

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Two players playing for the national football team of Cabo Verde

Cape Verde has two titles: It hosted and won the Amílcar Cabral Cup in 2000, and won the gold medal in the football tournament at the 2009 Lusophony Games. The team also won a bronze medal at the 2006 Lusophony Games. For the first time in its history, on 2 November 2002, it faced a non-African team, Luxembourg, in a friendly, resulting in a scoreless draw. On 4 September 2009, it faced Malta in a friendly, resulting in a 2–0 victory. On 24 May 2010, Cape Verde played out a 0–0 draw in a friendly match against a full-strength Portugal.[18] At the time, Portugal was third in the FIFA rankings and Cape Verde were 117th.[19] On 31 March 2015, Cape Verde unexpectedly won 2–0 against Portugal at the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota in Estoril.[20]

Kit history

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Kit manufacturer

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Kit providers Period
Germany Adidas 1975–1993
Netherlands Beltona 1994–1995
Portugal Saillev 1996–2001
Portugal Tepa 2002–2007
Italy Erreà 2008–2009
Spain KS Sport 2010–2011
Germany Adidas 2012
Portugal Tepa 2013–2014
Portugal Lacatoni 2015–2017
Germany Adidas 2018–2021
Austria Tempo Sport 2022–present

Stadiums

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Main articles: Estádio da Várzea and Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde

The national team used to play their games at Estádio da Várzea. It is located in the capital city, Praia, on the Santiago Island. The stadium reopened in 2006 and holds 8,000 people.

The construction of a new national stadium, the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, financed by the People's Republic of China, was planned in 2007 and signed on 11 November 2009. The project involves the creation of a 10,000-seat arena in Achada de São Filipe, north of the capital, suitable for football and athletics competitions. The planned playing surface is synthetic turf and also includes an eight-lane tartan track. Work began in October 2010 and the stadium was scheduled to open in June 2012. Additional work to increase the stadium's capacity to 15,000 spectators pushed back the opening to October 2013.

Presently, the team plays the majority of its home matches at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde. The Tubarões Azuis matches have also been held at the 5,000-seat Adérito Sena Municipal Stadium in Mindelo.

Results and fixtures

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For all past match results of the national team, see Cape Verde national football team results.

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

[edit]
10 October 2024 (2024-10-10) 2025 AFCON qualifier Cape Verde  0–1  Botswana Praia, Cape Verde
15:00 UTC−1 Report Orebonye 2' Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
Referee: Samir Guezzaz (Morocco)
15 October 2024 (2024-10-15) 2025 AFCON qualifier Botswana  1–0  Cape Verde Francistown, Botswana
18:00 UTC+2
Report Stadium: Obed Itani Chilume Stadium
Attendance: 8,000
Referee: Messie Nkounkou (Congo)
15 November 2024 (2024-11-15) 2025 AFCON qualifier Cape Verde  1–1  Egypt Praia, Cape Verde
14:00 UTC−1
Report
Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
Referee: Djindo Louis Houngnandande (Benin)
19 November 2024 (2024-11-19) 2025 AFCON qualifier Mauritania  1–0  Cape Verde Nouakchott, Mauritania
15:00 UTC+0
Report Stadium: Cheikha Ould Boïdiya Stadium
Referee: Lahlou Benbraham (Algeria)

2025

[edit]
20 March 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Cape Verde  1–0  Mauritius Praia, Cape Verde
17:00
Report Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
Referee: Yannick Malala Kabanga (DR Congo)
25 March 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Angola  1–2  Cape Verde Luanda, Angola
17:00
Report
Stadium: Estádio 11 de Novembro
Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
29 May Friendly Malaysia  1–1  Cape Verde Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
21:00 UTC+8 Josué 79' Report S. Cabral 8' Stadium: Kuala Lumpur Stadium
Attendance: 10,708
Referee: Mongkolchai Pechhri (Thailand)
3 June Closed-Door Friendly1 Malaysia  0–3  Cape Verde Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
21:00 UTC+8 Report Livramento 35, 48' Stadium: Bukit Jalil National Stadium
Attendance: 0
8 June Friendly Georgia  1–1  Cape Verde Kutaisi, Georgia
Lobzhanidze 45+1' Report R. Mendes 78' Stadium: Ramaz Shengelia Stadium
Referee: Henrik Nalbandyan (Armenia)
4 September 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Mauritius  0–2  Cape Verde Saint Pierre, Mauritius
20:00 UTC+4 Report
Stadium: Côte d'Or National Sports Complex
Referee: Mohamed Diraneh Guedi (Djibouti)
9 September 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Cape Verde  1–0  Cameroon Praia, Cape Verde
 Report Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
Referee: Daniel Nii Laryea (Ghana)
8 October 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Libya  3–3  Cape Verde Tripoli, Libya
15:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Tripoli Stadium
Referee: Mahmood Ali Mahmood Ismail (Sudan)
13 October 2026 FIFA WC Qualifier Cape Verde  3–0  Eswatini Praia, Cape Verde
15:00 UTC−1
Report Stadium: Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde
Referee: Ahmed Arajiga (Tanzania)

2026

[edit]
June 2026 FIFA World Cup GS Cape Verde  v TBD
June 2026 FIFA World Cup GS Cape Verde  v TBD
June 2026 FIFA World Cup GS TBD v  Cape Verde
Notes
  • 1 Non FIFA 'A' international match

Coaching history

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Caretaker managers are listed in italics.

Players

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Current squad

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The following players were selected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Libya and Eswatini on 8 and 13 October, respectively.[29]
Caps and goals correct as of 13 October 2025, after the match against Eswatini.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Vozinha (1986-06-03) 3 June 1986 (age 39) 83 0 Portuguese Football Federation Chaves
1GK Márcio Rosa (1997-02-23) 23 February 1997 (age 28) 9 0 Bulgarian Football Union Montana
1GK Bruno Varela (1994-11-04) 4 November 1994 (age 30) 7 0 Saudi Arabian Football Federation Al-Hazem
2DF Stopira (1988-05-20) 20 May 1988 (age 37) 59 4 Portuguese Football Federation Torreense
2DF Pico (1992-06-17) 17 June 1992 (age 33) 41 0 Football Association of Ireland Shamrock Rovers
2DF João Paulo (1998-05-26) 26 May 1998 (age 27) 36 1 Romanian Football Federation Oțelul Galați
2DF Diney (1995-01-17) 17 January 1995 (age 30) 26 2 United Arab Emirates Football Association Al Bataeh
2DF Steven Moreira (1994-08-13) 13 August 1994 (age 31) 17 0 United States Soccer Federation Columbus Crew
2DF Wagner Pina (2002-11-03) 3 November 2002 (age 22) 9 0 Turkish Football Federation Trabzonspor
2DF Sidny Lopes Cabral (2003-09-18) 18 September 2003 (age 22) 5 2 Portuguese Football Federation Estrela da Amadora
2DF Kelvin Pires (2000-06-05) 5 June 2000 (age 25) 2 0 Football Association of Finland SJK
3MF Jamiro Monteiro (1993-11-23) 23 November 1993 (age 31) 51 5 Royal Dutch Football Association PEC Zwolle
3MF Kevin Pina (1997-01-27) 27 January 1997 (age 28) 26 2 Russian Football Union Krasnodar
3MF Deroy Duarte (1999-07-04) 4 July 1999 (age 26) 26 0 Bulgarian Football Union Ludogorets Razgrad
3MF Telmo Arcanjo (2001-06-21) 21 June 2001 (age 24) 11 1 Portuguese Football Federation Vitória de Guimarães
3MF Yannick Semedo (1995-12-29) 29 December 1995 (age 29) 8 1 Portuguese Football Federation Farense
3MF Laros Duarte (1997-02-28) 28 February 1997 (age 28) 8 0 Hungarian Football Federation Puskás Akadémia
3MF Aílson Tavares (1998-07-20) 20 July 1998 (age 27) 4 0 Israel Football Association Beitar Jerusalem
4FW Ryan Mendes (captain) (1990-01-08) 8 January 1990 (age 35) 87 22 Turkish Football Federation Kocaelispor
4FW Garry Rodrigues (1990-11-27) 27 November 1990 (age 34) 53 8 Cyprus Football Association Apollon Limassol
4FW Willy Semedo (1994-04-27) 27 April 1994 (age 31) 33 2 Cyprus Football Association Omonia
4FW Dailon Livramento (2001-05-04) 4 May 2001 (age 24) 18 6 Portuguese Football Federation Casa Pia
4FW Hélio Varela (2002-05-03) 3 May 2002 (age 23) 18 0 Israel Football Association Maccabi Tel Aviv
4FW Heriberto Tavares (1997-02-19) 19 February 1997 (age 28) 5 1 Israel Football Association Maccabi Netanya
4FW Nuno da Costa (1991-02-10) 10 February 1991 (age 34) 4 1 Turkish Football Federation İstanbul Başakşehir

Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following players have been called up for Cape Verde in the last 12 months and are still eligible to represent.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Henrique Tavares (2002-07-29) 29 July 2002 (age 23) 0 0 France Rousset v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF David Moreira (2004-04-18) 18 April 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Portugal Sporting U23 v.  Cameroon, 9 September 2025
DF Logan Costa (2001-04-01) 1 April 2001 (age 24) 26 0 Spain Villarreal v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Jójó (2001-05-19) 19 May 2001 (age 24) 4 0 Portugal Vizela v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Kristopher Da Graca (1998-01-16) 16 January 1998 (age 27) 3 0 Cyprus Krasava Ypsonas v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Bruno Almeida (2000-07-02) 2 July 2000 (age 25) 1 0 Portugal Atlético v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Yuran Fernandes (1994-10-19) 19 October 1994 (age 30) 1 0 Indonesia PSM Makassar v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Rivaldo Morais (2000-09-18) 18 September 2000 (age 25) 1 0 Portugal Farense v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Ricardo Santos (1995-06-18) 18 June 1995 (age 30) 1 0 Wales Swansea City v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
DF Dylan Tavares (1996-08-30) 30 August 1996 (age 29) 20 1 France Sochaux v.  Mauritania, 19 November 2024
MF Fabrício Garcia (2001-05-04) 4 May 2001 (age 24) 6 0 Portugal Estoril v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF Stéphane Cueni (2001-03-14) 14 March 2001 (age 24) 2 0 Switzerland Winterthur v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF Elson Mendes (2005-09-18) 18 September 2005 (age 20) 2 0 France Sochaux v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF Jordan Semedo (2003-01-15) 15 January 2003 (age 22) 2 0 Bulgaria Slavia Sofia v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF David Costa (2004-01-12) 12 January 2004 (age 21) 1 0 Portugal Torreense v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF Ilano Silva Timas (2002-09-29) 29 September 2002 (age 23) 1 0 Netherlands MVV v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF Sidnei Tavares (2001-09-29) 29 September 2001 (age 24) 0 0 England Blackburn Rovers v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
MF David Tavares (1999-03-18) 18 March 1999 (age 26) 5 0 Azerbaijan Turan Tovuz v.  Angola, 25 March 2025
MF Patrick Andrade (1993-02-09) 9 February 1993 (age 32) 28 0 Azerbaijan Araz-Naxçıvan v.  Mauritania, 19 November 2024
FW Jovane Cabral (1998-06-14) 14 June 1998 (age 27) 24 2 Portugal Estrela Amadora v.  Cameroon, 9 September 2025
FW Alessio da Cruz (1997-01-18) 18 January 1997 (age 28) 4 0 Brazil Athletic v.  Cameroon, 9 September 2025
FW Benchimol (2001-12-29) 29 December 2001 (age 23) 21 5 Russia Akron Tolyatti v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
FW Bryan Teixeira (2000-09-01) 1 September 2000 (age 25) 6 1 Austria LASK v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
FW Duk (2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 25) 6 0 Spain Leganés v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
FW Alvin Fortes (1994-04-25) 25 April 1994 (age 31) 2 0 Malaysia Selangor v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
FW Rúben Pina (2000-01-20) 20 January 2000 (age 25) 2 0 Portugal Chaves v.  Georgia, 8 June 2025
FW Bebé (1990-07-12) 12 July 1990 (age 35) 26 5 Spain Ibiza v.  Mauritania, 19 November 2024

INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
SUS Suspended from the national team.

Records

[edit]
As of 9 September 2025[30]
Players in bold are still active with Cape Verde.

Most appearances

[edit]
Ryan Mendes is Cape Verde's top goalscorer and their most capped player.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Ryan Mendes 90 22 2010–present
2 Vozinha 83 0 2012–present
3 Babanco 62 5 2007–2019
4 Stopira 58 3 2007–present
5 Garry Rodrigues 55 8 2013–present
6 Héldon 52 15 2008–2019
Marco Soares 52 3 2006–2021
Fernando Varela 52 3 2008–2019
9 Jamiro Monteiro 49 5 2016–present
10 Júlio Tavares 48 8 2012–2022

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Ryan Mendes 22 90 0.24 2010–present
2 Héldon 15 52 0.29 2008–2019
3 Caló 11 27 0.41 1995–2007
4 Júlio Tavares 8 48 0.17 2012–2022
Garry Rodrigues 8 55 0.15 2013–present
6 Lito 7 47 0.15 2002–2012
7 Toni 6 11 0.55 1992–2003
Bebé 6 27 0.22 2022–present
Djaniny 6 35 0.17 2012–present
Dailon Livramento 6 18 0.33 2024–present
10 Cafú 5 15 0.33 2003–2007
Gilson Tavares 5 21 0.24 2020–present
Dady 5 23 0.22 2005–2012
Odaïr Fortes 5 28 0.18 2010–2016
Jamiro Monteiro 5 49 0.1 2016–present
Babanco 5 62 0.08 2007–2019

Competitive record

[edit]

FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: Cape Verde at the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1974 Part of  Portugal Part of  Portugal
1978 and 1982 Not a member of FIFA Not a member of FIFA
1986 to 1998 Did not enter Did not enter
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 0 2
Germany 2006 12 4 2 6 12 16
South Africa 2010 6 3 0 3 7 8
Brazil 2014 6 3 0 3 9 7
Russia 2018 8 3 0 5 6 13
Qatar 2022 6 3 2 1 8 6
Canada Mexico United States 2026 Group stage 0 0 0 0 0 0 Squad 10 8 1 1 16 8
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total — 1/10 0 0 0 0 0 0 50 23 7 20 52 57

Africa Cup of Nations

[edit]
Main article: Cape Verde at the Africa Cup of Nations
Africa Cup of Nations record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
1957 to 1974 Part of  Portugal Part of  Portugal
1976 to 1992 Not a member of CAF Not a member of CAF
Tunisia 1994 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 4
South Africa 1996 Withdrew Withdrew
Burkina Faso 1998 Did not enter Did not enter
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 0 3
Mali 2002 2 0 1 1 1 2
Tunisia 2004 6 3 0 3 9 8
Egypt 2006 12 4 2 8 11 16
Ghana 2008 6 1 2 3 3 10
Angola 2010 6 3 0 3 7 8
Equatorial Guinea Gabon 2012 6 3 1 2 7 7
South Africa 2013 Quarter-finals 7th 4 1 2 1 3 4 Squad 4 4 0 0 10 3
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Group stage 11th 3 0 3 0 1 1 Squad 6 4 0 2 9 6
Gabon 2017 Did not qualify 6 3 0 3 10 7
Egypt 2019 6 1 2 3 4 5
Cameroon 2021 Round of 16 15th 4 1 1 2 2 4 Squad 6 2 4 0 6 3
Ivory Coast 2023 Quarter-finals 5th 5 3 2 0 8 3 Squad 6 3 1 2 8 6
Morocco 2025 Did not qualify 6 1 1 4 3 7
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined To be determined
2029
Total Quarter-finals 4/35 16 5 8 3 14 12 — 82 33 15 34 90 95

Record against other nations

[edit]

As of 13 October 2025 after match against  Eswatini

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

Opponent
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 % Win
 First meeting
 Last meeting
 Federation
 Algeria 6 1 2 3 6 13 −7 16.67% 2000 2023 CAF
 Andorra 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 50% 2018 2020 UEFA
 Angola 8 3 3 2 10 9 +1 37.5% 1988 2025 CAF
 Bahrain 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 100% 2022 2022 AFC
 Botswana 2 0 0 2 0 2 –2 0% 2024 2024 CAF
 Burkina Faso 9 4 1 4 7 11 –4 44.44% 2004 2023 CAF
 Cameroon 9 2 3 4 10 12 –2 22.22% 2008 2025 CAF
 Central African Republic 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 50% 2021 2021 CAF
 Comoros 1 0 0 1 1 2 –1 0% 2023 2023 CAF
 DR Congo 3 0 2 1 2 3 –1 0% 2004 2015 CAF
 Ecuador 1 0 0 1 0 1 –1 0% 2022 2022 CONMEBOL
 Egypt 3 0 2 1 3 6 –3 0% 2024 2024 CAF
 Equatorial Guinea 4 4 0 0 12 0 +12 100% 2009 2024 CAF
 Eswatini 6 4 2 0 10 1 +9 66.67% 2003 2025 CAF
 Ethiopia 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% 2022 2022 CAF
 Gabon 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% 2013 2013 CAF
 Gambia 9 2 3 4 7 13 –6 22.22% 1982 2007 CAF
 Georgia 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0% 2025 2025 UEFA
 Ghana 7 3 0 4 4 10 –6 42.85% 2001 2024 CAF
 Guinea 8 2 2 4 6 10 –4 25.00% 1982 2020 CAF
 Guinea-Bissau 13 5 3 5 13 13 0 38.46% 1979 2010 CAF
 Guyana 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 100% 2024 2024 CAF
 Kenya 4 1 0 3 2 3 –1 25.00% 2002 2015 CAF
 Lesotho 2 0 2 0 1 1 0 0% 2018 2019 CAF
 Liberia 6 4 0 2 8 7 +1 66.67% 2000 2021 CAF
 Libya 4 2 1 1 6 5 +1 50.00% 2015 2025 CAF
 Liechtenstein 1 1 0 0 6 0 +6 100% 2022 2022 UEFA
Total (27) 114 43 29 42 122 125 –3 37.71% 1979 2025 FIFA

Honours

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Regional

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Friendly

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References

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  1. ^ "Conheça as alcunhas das 16 seleções finalistas" [Meet the nicknames of the 16 finalists]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 2 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  2. ^ Mamrud, Roberto; Stokkermans, Karel. "Players with 100+ Caps and 30+ International Goals". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2011.
  3. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 18 September 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  4. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 12 October 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  5. ^ "Cabo Verde". FIFA. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  6. ^ Stevens, Rob. "Cape Verde become second-smallest nation to reach World Cup". BBC. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  7. ^ Courtney, Barry (5 June 2006). "Cape Verde Islands – List of International matches". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  8. ^ "Cape Verde Islands". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
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  16. ^ "Cape Verde Islands 0–0 DR Congo". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  17. ^ "Afcon 2015: Group B as it happened". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  18. ^ "Report: Portugal v Cape Verde Islands – International Friendly – ESPN Soccernet". ESPN. 24 May 2010. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  19. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking - Associations - Cape Verde Islands - Men's". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original on 19 February 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  20. ^ "Portugal 0 Cape Verde Islands 2". BBC Sport. 31 March 2015. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  21. ^ "Futebol: Óscar Duarte na equipa técnica dos Travadores". Sapo Noticias. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  22. ^ "Cape Verde island coach Alhinho resigns". ESPN Soccernet. Reuters. 5 January 2006. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  23. ^ "Ze Rui appointed Cape Verde coach". BBC. 3 May 2006. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  24. ^ a b "Cape Verde confirm identity of new coach". BBC. 22 November 2006. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  25. ^ "De Deus New Cape Verde Coach". MTN Football. 22 November 2006. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2008.
  26. ^ "Soccer federation unaware of national selection coach's alleged exit". Asemana. 25 June 2010. Archived from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
  27. ^ "Lúcio Antunes tapped as new national soccer team coach". Asemana. 25 July 2010. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 29 July 2010.
  28. ^ "Rui Águas é o novo selecionador de Cabo Verde". DN Desporto. 6 August 2014. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  29. ^ "Qualificação Mundial 2026: Convocados para os jogos frente a Líbia e Eswatini". 3 October 2025.
  30. ^ "Cape Verde". National Football Teams.
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