Teams · Group H
Cabo Verde
Blue Sharks
Cabo Verde, an Atlantic archipelago of roughly half a million people, qualify for their first World Cup — one of the great stories of the 2026 cycle, built on a tight-knit squad of diaspora players.
Cabo Verde’s group path
Cabo Verde starts in Group H with Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia. They enter the group as the #4 team by MatchupSim power rating, which makes the finishing position especially important: first place, second place and a possible third-place route can each send them into a very different round-of-32 matchup.
Key facts
- Confederation
- Africa (CAF)
- Group
- Group H · power-ranked #4 of 4
- World Cup titles
- 0
- Best finish
- Debut
- Qualified via
- CAF qualifying
- Power rating (PWR)
- 66 · Elo 1600
- Manager
- Bubista (Pedro Brito)
Players to watch
- Ryan Mendes — Captain, forward
- Vozinha — Goalkeeper
- Jamiro Monteiro — Midfield
Group H opponents
Group-stage fixtures
- Mon, Jun 15
SpainAtlanta, USA - Sun, Jun 21
UruguayMiami, USA - Sat, Jun 27
Saudi ArabiaHouston, USA
2026 outlook
Debutants in Group H against Spain, the Blue Sharks arrive to make history and embrace the underdog role.
Prediction angles to test
Start with a favorites run, then test one aggressive version where Cabo Verde wins Group H and one conservative version where they finish lower in the table. Comparing those paths shows whether their best chance comes from group control, a softer runner-up route, or surviving as one of the best third-place teams.
Simulate Cabo Verde’s World Cup
Think Cabo Verde can go all the way — or crash out early? Set their Group H finish in the simulator and watch the bracket re-wire around your call, or build a full prediction all the way to the final.