National Anthems: Cape Verde
Uncover the rising football history, vibrant culture, and inspiring journey of the Cape Verde National Team. Looking through the lens of MLS clubs and players, we celebrate the global passion of the Blue Sharks and preview what to expect from them in the 2026 World Cup spotlight.
Video Transcript
If you ask people, "What's Cape Verde and where it is located?"
Nobody knows.
Cape Verde is a small country in Africa, a small island next to Senegal.
When we play against, Eswatini, it was a big game.
I remember leaving the hotel, before the game against Eswatini.
Old lady come to me, like shrug, and told me, like, "You have to win tonight."
Like, "You have to win.
You don't have choice."
You start to feel like, oof, that's a big, big responsibility and everything.
First half, 0-0, so like, you can be worried.
And we start the second half.
It's amazing.
It's amazing, man.
We are happy.
We are the third smallest nation to ever qualify for the World Cup.
This is like the biggest thing that happened in Cape Verde in sports ever.
To learn about Cape Verde through the World Cup, yeah, most people don't know about it, but they'll know about it 'cause they're playing against Spain, you know, one of the favorites in the tournament.
Play the World Cup with my country the first time and here in US, where I play, it's just something, amazing.
I just want to enjoy.
USA, we got it.
USA, we got it.
Massachusetts has the largest population in the United States of Cape Verdeans.
The biggest Cape Verdean community outside Cape Verde.
I am managing coach with Brockton FC, which is a local club in the community.
I also coach Brockton High School.
Let's go.
What's happening in, in the United States this summer?
World Cup.
The World Cup.
Yeah.
It's also big opportunity for players like you because all eyes will be on you.
All right, make them passes.
We are a tight-knit community.
For example, our club, we have a lot of players that are newcomers.
We serve as an organization to help integrate into the new society here in the United States.
Yeah, look out.
Most of the people live outside of the country.
My mom and my dad are from, Cape Verde, both of them, but me, I grew up in France.
Piko Lopez, him is a crazy story, so like he's from Ireland.
All selection go to the, just text him.
I think it was LinkedIn.
He just text him and say like, "Can you, you want to come play, with the national team?"
And just say, "Yeah, like, I think my dad is from Cape Verde, but I'm not sure."
And they try to figure out and stuff, and he was from Cape Verde, and he just come play with us straight.
They recruited him on LinkedIn?
Yeah.
It's Africa.
It's Africa, a lot of story like this.
I would say, like, our player are fast, clean technically, but, the way we play football, with all respect, I would say, Brazilian style.
We just love to control the ball, tiki-taka.
Steven Moreira's been brilliant for Columbus, one of the best players this league has seen on the defensive side of things.
The thing about Steven that I think people sometimes wouldn't know is that he's one of the best leaders I've met.
MLS Defender of the Year at a point.
He's a starter.
He's expected to be a key contributor for them in the World Cup.
I'm proud of Steven, and I know he's worked so hard, the last year especially, put his body on the line to reach this.
And Moreira hits an absolute beauty.
Steven's role is gonna be very important because you're gonna be going up against Lamine Yamal.
It's not gonna be easy, but we big believers.
Ryan Mendes, very, very, very good player.
I know he's aging, but he's still like a big part of the team.
I played with a guy in Philadelphia, Jemiro Monteiro.
He gets to represent on the world's biggest stage, which was always a, a dream of his.
Jemiro Monteiro played four or five years in the MLS.
He did good in this league.
Yeah, he got a lot of visibility, now has a great opportunity playing in Europe.
Hold up, hold up, hold up.
Yes, pass, pass.
This World Cup should be the biggest inspiration of your life, to want to make something for yourself, for your family, and for this community.
Red 23.
One, two, three.
Red 23.
I hope I will not cry during the, before the game.
I hope I will not cry and just like, having fun, joy, and, give my best for my country.
Super excited for him and hyping him up.
The match I'm looking forward to the most right now is Cape Verde versus Spain.
I think that's gonna be a great match up to see my boy, Steven Moreira, against Lamine Yamal, see him lock him down and, and surprise everyone.
This is part of the reason why the World Cup is now 48 teams, to give the Cinderella story.
That's the magic of the World Cup.
Gives small nations like ours the opportunity to qualify and continue to grow.
Now they will know Cape Verde, that it's, there's two dots on the map.
For sure, if the other team think it will be maybe easy for them, they will see like 11 guys on the pitch, like very hungry, running everywhere, and like try to show our quality because, we have nothing to lose.
I wanna be part of the history, especially, you know, the World Cup is in the United States.
I live in the United States.
There's no way I'm gonna miss this opportunity to support my national team.
Screaming, "Yeah, let's go, Cape Verde.
Let's go.
We got this."
