{"id":9125,"date":"2026-02-22T20:34:38","date_gmt":"2026-02-22T19:34:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kaapverdietours.com\/2026\/02\/22\/football-news-cape-verde-qualifies-for-the-world-cup-for-the-first-time\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T20:58:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T18:58:19","slug":"football-news-cape-verde-to-the-world-cup-for-the-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kaapverdietours.com\/en\/voetbalnieuws-kaapverdie-voor-het-eerst-naar-het-wk-voetbal\/","title":{"rendered":"Football news: Cape Verde to the World Cup for the first time"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Cape Verdean national team, also known as the Blue Sharks, qualified for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico through a strong qualification campaign. For a small island nation, this is a historic moment that sets the entire country in motion.<\/p>\n\n<p>Bruno, local guide for Cape Verde Tours on Santiago, sees every day how huge the football madness is here. Cape Verde breathes football and you notice that everywhere on the island.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Why this World Cup participation is so special<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>First World Cup participation ever for Cape Verde<\/li>\n<li>Small country with a large diaspora in the Netherlands, Portugal, and France, among others<\/li>\n<li>A player squad consisting of both locally trained players and players with European roots<\/li>\n<li>A mix of football, culture, and national pride that you cannot feel anywhere else quite like this<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2>World Cup 2026 Group Stage: Cape Verde's opponents<\/h2>\n<p>At the 2026 World Cup, Cape Verde will play Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia in the group stage. This makes the group athletically challenging, but also attractive to follow. The matches take place in the period from mid-June to late June 2026.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Atmosphere in Cape Verde during the World Cup<\/h2>\n<p>During the World Cup, Cape Verde transforms into one big, positive football atmosphere. Everywhere you see flags, shirts, and decorations, and during every match, people come together to cheer on the national team. The World Cup experience is small-scale, personal, and accessible: you easily get swept up in the experience, even if you are not a die-hard football fan.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Combining excursions with the World Cup in Santiago<\/h2>\n<p>Santiago is the ideal base during the World Cup. Popular activities besides the matches:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>City tour <a href=\"https:\/\/kaapverdietours.com\/en\/2026\/05\/14\/visit-praia-capital-of-cape-verde\/\">Beach<\/a>: Plateau, markets, and local neighborhoods<\/li>\n<li>Visit to <a href=\"https:\/\/kaapverdietours.com\/en\/2026\/04\/17\/cidade-velha-bezoeken\/\">Old City (UNESCO)<\/a>: history and colonial architecture<\/li>\n<li>Day trip to <a href=\"https:\/\/kaapverdietours.com\/en\/2026\/05\/14\/tarrafal-beach-santiago-cape-verde\/\">Tarrafal<\/a>: beach and clear water<\/li>\n<li>Hiking to the <a href=\"https:\/\/kaapverdietours.com\/en\/2026\/05\/14\/pico-de-antonia-hike-santiago-cape-verde\/\">Ant\u00f3nia Peak<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2>Experience the 2026 World Cup with Bruno in Santiago<\/h2>\n<p>Bruno is based in Santiago and can help you tailor your trip to the game schedule, find the best spots to watch games with locals, and plan excursions on days when there are no games.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/kaapverdietours.com\/en\/trips\/praia-stadstour\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Praia city tour<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/kaapverdietours.com\/en\/trips\/santiago-een-dag\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Santiago in one day<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Do you have any questions? Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/kaapverdietours.com\/en\/2026\/04\/12\/vakantie-kaapverdie-veelgestelde-vragen\/\">frequently asked questions about a holiday to Cape Verde<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions About Cape Verde and the 2026 World Cup<\/h2>\n<div id=\"rank-math-faq\" class=\"rank-math-block\">\n<div class=\"rank-math-list\">\n<div id=\"faq-question-1785351423564-0-2427\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Has Cape Verde qualified for the 2026 World Cup?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Yes. The Blue Sharks qualified through the African qualifiers. It is the first-ever World Cup appearance for Cape Verde.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1785351423564-1-1583\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Who will Cape Verde face at the 2026 World Cup?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>In the group stage, Cape Verde will face Spain, Uruguay, and Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1785351423564-2-7561\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Is it fun to be in Cape Verde during the World Cup?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Certainly. The atmosphere is unique: small, personal, and full of national pride. You watch matches together with locals in cafes and on squares.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"faq-question-1785351423564-3-4558\" class=\"rank-math-list-item\">\n<h3 class=\"rank-math-question\">Is Cape Verde safe during the World Cup?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">\n\n<p>Yes. Cape Verde is one of the safest travel destinations in Africa and will remain so during the World Cup.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cape Verde qualifies for the World Cup for the first time in 2026. Experience football, culture, and island life as the Blue Sharks compete on the world stage\u2014while you enjoy the sun, excursions, and the unique atmosphere of the islands.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":277457538,"featured_media":9124,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_embed_bokun_bokun_id":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"","rank_math_focus_keyword":"voetbalnieuws","_aioseop_title":"","_aioseop_description":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[1651,1644,1643],"class_list":["post-9125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs","tag-kaapverdisch-voetbal","tag-santiago-kaapverdie","tag-vakantie-kaapverdie"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/ph6Iqz-2nb","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10546,"url":"https:\/\/kaapverdietours.com\/en\/grogue-nationale-drank-kaapverdie\/","url_meta":{"origin":9125,"position":0},"title":"Grogue: the national drink of Cape Verde and why you should try it","author":"Luna","date":"April 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Er zijn weinig dingen die zo diep verankerd zijn in de Kaapverdiaanse cultuur als grogue. Wie op Santiago de straat op loopt, ziet suikerrietplantages langs de berghellingen. Wie bij een lokale familie aanschuift, krijgt bijna altijd een glas aangeboden. 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