Team Overview
The Cape Verde national football team ( Portuguese : Seleção nacional de futebol de Cabo Verde ; recognized as Cabo Verde by FIFA ) 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 Africa Cup of Nations qualification for the first time in 1992 and made its first FIFA World Cup qualification appearance in 2003. The team is coached by Pedro Leitão Brito . Also known as "Creoles" ( Portuguese : "Crioulos" ), Cape Verde plays 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 also appeared in the 2015 , 2021 and 2023 tournaments, reaching the quarter-finals in 2013 and 2023.
2026 Fixtures
| Date | Match | Group / Round | Venue | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-15 12:00 UTC-4 | Spain vs Cabo Verde | Group H | Atlanta | SCHEDULED |
| 2026-06-21 18:00 UTC-4 | Uruguay vs Cabo Verde | Group H | Miami (Miami Gardens) | SCHEDULED |
| 2026-06-26 19:00 UTC-5 | Cabo Verde vs Saudi Arabia | Group H | Houston | SCHEDULED |
Honours
| Regional: Amílcar Cabral Cup Champions (1): 2000 Runners-up (1): 2007 Third place (1): 1995 |
| Regional: Lusofonia Games Champions (1): 2009 Third place (1): 2006 |
| Friendly: FIFA Series (1): 2024 Saudi Arabia A |
Competition Records
FIFA World Cup
| FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | 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 | ||||||
| 2002 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 16 | ||
| 2010 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 2014 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 7 | ||
| 2018 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 13 | ||
| 2022 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 2026 | TBD | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2030 | To be determined | To be determined |
Africa Cup of Nations
| Africa Cup of Nations record | Qualification record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | 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 | ||||||
| 1994 | Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | |
| 1996 | Withdrew | Withdrew | ||||||
| 1998 | Did not enter | Did not enter | ||||||
| 2000 | Did not qualify | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 2002 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2004 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 2006 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 16 | ||
| 2008 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 2010 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 8 |
Current Squad
| Pos | Name | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||
| GK | Bruno Varela | 8 | 0 | Al-Hazem |
| GK | Henrique Tavares | 0 | 0 | Rousset |
| Defenders | ||||
| DF | Bruno Almeida | 1 | 0 | Atlético |
| DF | David Moreira | 3 | 0 | Sporting B |
| DF | Jorginho Soares | 1 | 0 | Montana |
| DF | Jójó | 5 | 0 | Vizela |
| DF | Kristopher Da Graca | 3 | 0 | Krasava Ypsonas |
| DF | Ricardo Santos | 2 | 0 | Swansea City |
| DF | Rivaldo Morais | 1 | 0 | Farense |
| DF | Yuran Fernandes | 1 | 0 | PSM Makassar |
| Midfielders | ||||
| MF | Ayoni Santos | 1 | 0 | Sparta Rotterdam |
| MF | Aílson Tavares | 4 | 0 | Beitar Jerusalem |
| MF | David Costa | 1 | 0 | Paços de Ferreira |
| MF | Elson Mendes | 2 | 0 | Sochaux |
| MF | Fabrício Garcia | 6 | 0 | Alverca |
| MF | Ilano Silva Timas | 1 | 0 | MVV |
| MF | Jordan Mendes | 1 | 0 | Rodez |
| MF | Jordan Semedo | 2 | 0 | Slavia Sofia |
| MF | Sidnei Tavares | 0 | 0 | Blackburn Rovers |
| MF | Stéphane Cueni | 2 | 0 | Winterthur |
| Forwards | ||||
| FW | Alessio da Cruz | 5 | 0 | Anorthosis Famagusta |
| FW | Alvin Fortes | 2 | 0 | Selangor |
| FW | Bryan Teixeira | 6 | 1 | Žalgiris |
| FW | Duk | 6 | 0 | Leganés |
| FW | Fabio Domingos | 1 | 0 | Paris Saint-Germain Youth |
| FW | Heriberto Tavares | 6 | 1 | Maccabi Netanya |
| FW | Ieltsin Camões | 1 | 0 | Al Ahly |
| FW | Rúben Pina | 2 | 0 | Leixões |
All-Time Leaders
| Most Caps | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Stat | Years |
| Ryan Mendes | 97 Caps | 2010–present |
| Vozinha | 87 Caps | 2012–present |
| Babanco | 62 Caps | 2007–2019 |
| Stopira | 61 Caps | 2007–present |
| 60 | 9 Caps | 2013–present |
| Jamiro Monteiro | 53 Caps | 2016–present |
| Héldon | 52 Caps | 2008–2019 |
| 52 | 3 Caps | 2006–2021 |
| Top Scorers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Stat | Years |
| Ryan Mendes | 97 Goals | 2010–present |
| Vozinha | 87 Goals | 2012–present |
| Babanco | 62 Goals | 2007–2019 |
| Stopira | 61 Goals | 2007–present |
| 60 | 9 Goals | 2013–present |
| Jamiro Monteiro | 53 Goals | 2016–present |
| Héldon | 52 Goals | 2008–2019 |
| 52 | 3 Goals | 2006–2021 |