Cape Verde arrived at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the tournament's smallest nation by population. It left as one of its defining stories. This feature explores how a nation of just over half a million people built a team capable of challenging the world's elite—and why its journey offers timely lessons for African football.

Cape Verde qualified for its first FIFA World Cup in 2026, drawing Spain and Uruguay before losing to Argentina. Here's how a nation of 525,000 pulled it

Cape Verde arrived at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the tournament's smallest nation by population. It left as one of its defining stories. This feature explores how a nation of just…