Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan secure maiden World Cup places
Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan have all qualified for the 2026 World Cup, marking their maiden appearances at the expanded tournament across North America.
The historic achievement comes following Fifa’s decision to increase the tournament’s capacity to 48 teams.
This expansion has provided a crucial pathway for developing footballing nations to reach the global showpiece.
The four newcomers will travel to the competition co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States next summer.
Historic milestones for island nations
With a population of just 525,000, Cape Verde becomes the third-smallest country by population to ever reach the global stage.
The volcanic archipelago sits just behind 2018 qualifiers Iceland and fellow 2026 debutants Curacao in that unique ranking.
The Blue Sharks secured their historic spot by winning African qualifying Group D, ultimately beating perennial heavyweights Cameroon to the summit.
A decisive 3-0 home victory over Eswatini in Praia guaranteed their progression and sparked wild celebrations across the West African nation.
Dressing room culture drives success
Music and traditional cuisine have played a central role in unifying a squad assembled from various global leagues.
“On the day of the Eswatini game I was trying to conserve energy, but my stomach was dancing with nerves.”
Cape Verde defender Roberto Lopes revealed that the pre-match tension was quickly broken by impromptu dressing-room celebrations.
“I was supposed to have a pre-game nap but then one of the other players got out the speakers and started playing music. We all started dancing.”
The squad regularly bond over Cachupa, a traditional bean and corn stew, helping to forge the unity required for a gruelling qualification campaign.
Capitalising on the expansion
While nine potential newcomers were still in contention during the recent playoffs, only four successfully navigated the final hurdles.
This influx of fresh talent falls short of the all-time record for debutants at a single modern tournament.
Six nations made their initial bows at the 2006 competition in Germany, including Angola, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Ukraine.
However, the 2026 edition promises unprecedented global representation when the group stage action begins on 11 June.
