Cape Verde National Team: Blue Sharks Football Squad, Fixtures and African Kick-Off Times

The Cape Verde national team, nicknamed the Blue Sharks (Tubarões Azuis), is the senior men's football side of an Atlantic island nation. In 2026 they played at their first World Cup, went through Group H unbeaten in second place, and took Argentina to extra time in Miami on 3 July 2026 before losing 3 to 2. South African readers searching for the Cape Verde soccer team will find the same side here.

Cape Verde's 2026 World Cup campaign brought an island nation into a knockout match with Argentina. Player information sits in the squad module; fixture entries translate each start into GMT, WAT, SAST and EAT. The sections below explore the 2013 AFCON debut and dated records. The Blue Sharks' tournament history gives readers in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa a route into their story.

Who Are the Blue Sharks, and Where Does the Name Come From?

The team's nickname is the Blue Sharks, or Tubarões Azuis in Portuguese. Their tournament history includes an AFCON debut in 2013 and a first World Cup appearance in 2026.

Cape Verde's qualifying breakthrough came when they beat Cameroon 3 to 2 on aggregate to reach the 2013 AFCON finals. Their FIFA ranking history includes 182nd in April 2000 and 27th in February 2014. In October 2025, they won their qualifying group to secure a place at the 2026 World Cup. The national teams hub offers a way to explore other African sides alongside the Blue Sharks.

How Did Cape Verde Reach the 2026 World Cup, and What Happened There?

Cape Verde won their World Cup qualifying group in October 2025, which gave the island nation its first place at the finals. At the finals they were drawn in Group H and drew all three matches: 0 to 0 with Spain, 2 to 2 with Uruguay and 0 to 0 with Saudi Arabia. Three draws were enough for second place in the group and a first ever knockout tie, against Argentina.

On 3 July 2026 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Cape Verde faced Argentina in the Round of 32. Argentina won 3 to 2 after extra time, ending Cape Verde's first World Cup campaign after an unbeaten group stage. The Blue Sharks' route through Group H and into extra time in a knockout match provides the record of that tournament.

Who Is in the Cape Verde Squad?

Use the Cape Verde squad module to look up positions, clubs and international appearances for the selected players. Comparing the position and club fields helps distinguish each player's role for Cape Verde from their club affiliation.

International appearance totals describe a player's experience with Cape Verde, rather than their place in a particular starting eleven. For selection details, consult the captain and goalkeeper information alongside the squad entries. Compare the selected squad with the records module to distinguish a tournament selection from a career milestone.

Start with the balance of positions when comparing Cape Verde selections. A list containing several forwards does not establish how many will start together, while a midfielder's club role may differ from his international assignment. Read the team sheet alongside the wider squad to identify the available combinations. For African supporters following players through club football, that distinction helps explain why a familiar name can have a different task with the Blue Sharks.

When Is the Cape Verde Next Match, and What Time Is Kick-Off Where You Live?

Cape Verde's fixture entries identify the opposition, ground and competition, with separate GMT, WAT, SAST and EAT readings for the start. Competition labels distinguish qualifiers, finals matches and friendlies. Cape Verde keep their clocks one hour behind GMT all year. A home match in Praia therefore starts at the local hour plus one in Accra, plus two in Lagos, plus three in Johannesburg, and plus four in Nairobi and Kampala.

For an away fixture, use the conversion attached to that match because Praia's local time does not determine the start. Readers in Nairobi and Kampala can follow the EAT entry, readers in Lagos the WAT entry, readers in Johannesburg the SAST entry and readers in Accra the GMT entry. The conversion table uses Praia home kick-offs as examples.

How Do You Read Cape Verde Results and the FIFA Ranking?

Match dates and competition labels in Cape Verde's results help place each score in context. FT means full time; check the result details for extra time or penalties. A goalless draw with Spain at a World Cup in 2026 was one of Cape Verde's three Group H draws. Their tournament ended in the Round of 32 with a 3 to 2 defeat by Argentina after extra time.

Cape Verde's ranking history includes 182nd in April 2000 and 27th in February 2014, following their 2013 AFCON quarter-final. Under the FIFA men's ranking calculation introduced in 2018, points are adjusted by multiplying a match importance weight by the difference between the actual result and the expected result. The expected result depends on the teams' points before the match; the actual result assigns values to wins, draws and defeats, with special treatment for penalty shoot-outs. Match importance gives finals and qualifying matches different weights from friendlies, and additional provisions apply to knockout defeats at finals tournaments. Use the ranking module for Cape Verde's changing position.

What Have Cape Verde Done at the Africa Cup of Nations?

Cape Verde's AFCON appearances through 2023 were in 2013, 2015, 2021 and 2023. Their best finish through 2023 was the quarter-final, reached in 2013 and again in 2023. Their first international was against Guinea in 1978, and for decades afterwards the islands sat on the edge of African football. The breakthrough came in qualifying for the 2013 finals, when they beat Cameroon 3 to 2 on aggregate. Cameroon were AFCON regulars, so in my opinion this was the result that told the continent to take the islands seriously.

Cape Verde reached the quarter-finals at their first attempt in 2013. Progress from the group stage put the Blue Sharks among the tournament's last eight. Their 2023 campaign also ended in the quarter-finals, giving readers two dated runs to compare through the results and tournament records.

Who Coaches Cape Verde, How Do They Play, and Where Is Home?

Consult the squad module for Cape Verde's head coach and selection details. In 2014, Rui Águas was appointed to succeed Lúcio Antunes before the 2015 AFCON. In my opinion, the Blue Sharks are at their best in a compact defensive shape that waits for chances to break forward. The two goalless draws at the 2026 World Cup, one of them against Spain, show how well that organisation can hold. The Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, near Praia, is Cape Verde's home stadium; check the venue listed for each fixture.

Watch the distance between Cape Verde's midfield and defence when assessing that compact approach. Short gaps give teammates nearby passing options after recovering possession. The next question is where the first forward pass goes: towards a wide runner, into a striker's feet or back through midfield to retain the ball. Those observations help distinguish a deliberate counterattack from a spell spent rebuilding possession, without assuming every Cape Verde selection uses an identical system.

Who Holds the Cape Verde Records?

In 2026, Ryan Mendes held Cape Verde's records with 104 caps and 22 goals. Cape Verde beat São Tomé and Príncipe 7 to 1 in 2015. The records module maintains the appearance, scoring and biggest win records as further internationals are played.

Appearances and goals answer different questions about a Cape Verde career. Caps describe the number of international appearances, while scoring totals highlight one contribution within those appearances. Neither measure captures every defensive intervention or chance created. When comparing generations of Blue Sharks, keep the date attached to each milestone and consider a player's position before treating a scoring difference as a complete assessment.

Why Do the Blue Sharks Punch Above Their Weight?

Cape Verde's results provide concrete milestones: qualification for the 2013 AFCON by beating Cameroon 3 to 2 on aggregate, quarter-final appearances in 2013 and 2023, and a first World Cup place secured in October 2025.

At the 2026 World Cup, the Blue Sharks advanced from Group H with three draws before losing to Argentina after extra time in the Round of 32. For readers following other African national teams, those results offer a tournament record against which to compare Cape Verde's campaigns.

The squad's club affiliations offer another way to explore Cape Verde's connections beyond the islands. Group the listed players by the countries where their clubs compete, then compare their positions within the national selection. Club location alone does not establish birthplace, upbringing or eligibility, so those details need individual biographies. This approach keeps the focus on identifiable football connections while leaving room for the different routes players take into the same national shirt.

Why Do Cape Verde Matter in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa?

Readers in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa can follow Cape Verde through their African qualifying campaigns and finals appearances. The Blue Sharks reached the AFCON quarter-finals in 2013 and 2023, then progressed from their group at the 2026 World Cup. Competition and draw details in the fixtures module identify the setting for each meeting with another African side.

For viewing information, consult the rights listings for Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa. Check the broadcaster against the competition and your country, then compare its programme listing with the converted start shown for your location: GMT, WAT, SAST or EAT. This makes the same fixture usable for viewers from Accra to Kampala.