Cabo Verde coach Bubista has seen the remarkable transformation of his country’s national team at first hand. When he played for the Blue Sharks in the early 2000s, the team faced huge difficulties and he recalled that “we didn’t even have proper kit to wear”.

Twenty years later, Bubista - whose full name is Pedro Leitão Brito - has led Cabo Verde to the FIFA World Cup™ for the first time, an astonishing achievement for a country of little more than half a million people.

“It’s a victory for the Cape Verdean people, for those who are here and those who are abroad. It’s also a victory for unity,” he said. “We have great players. But we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for our history, our past. Our path led us to where we are today. So, this victory also belongs to everyone who did their part and helped us… In terms of organisation, the federation has been doing a good job for everyone. When everything is in harmony, the players are united… all that helped us to get to this moment.”

Another key factor was the expansion of the FIFA World Cup to 48 teams, with the number of African slots increased from five to nine plus a possible 10th via the Play-Off Tournament. Bubista said this gave the team added encouragement. “I always said – I’ve already had the chance to say this at a CAF Conference – that if there were more spots, the smaller countries would have a bigger chance to fight (for a place). It’s not only us: there are other countries fighting for a place in other parts of the world,” he said.

“And having nine spots opens up the possibilities. Before, when you did the qualifiers, you would qualify in first place, and you still had to play the play-offs…. (where) there were two matches, which was very tough for small countries. “From the moment we knew that nine teams would qualify, we told ourselves that we had to be one of those nine teams. And we’re here.”

Defender Roberto Lopes, who was taking part in his second FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, agreed that having nine places for Africa had given the team encouragement. Four years ago, Cabo Verde were drawn in a tough group against Nigeria – finishing just two points behind in second place – and would still have had to face a two-leg play-off even if they had won the group. “With the first World Cup campaign, it was the old format where only five teams could qualify. I mean, I already missed out on the play-off spot to Nigeria, but I think, off the back of our two (CAF) Africa Cup of Nations (performances), we gained some confidence, saying that we can mix with the best teams. So, we didn’t fear who was in our group,” he said.

Lopes, who was born in Ireland to a Cabo Verdean father and has spent his entire playing career in the League of Ireland with Bohemians and now Shamrock Rovers, said that playing international football had given his career a new dimension. “You could say it’s skyrocketed – it really has. Being able to test yourself against the best players in the world, bringing back your knowledge to the team, and trying to improve yourself every day – it’s made me a better player, it’s made me a better person, and I’ve experienced things I never would have in my life before,” he said.

Founded in 1982 and a FIFA member since 1986, the Cabo Verdean Football Federation (FCF) has worked hard to develop football in the country and while funding from the FIFA Forward programme – including operational expenses for the national team – has played a key role.

“This is the true example of a federation that previously had no financial support at all, or very little, and which can now compete at the highest level with the money we have provided from our programmes,” said Gelson Fernandes, FIFA Deputy Chief Member Associations Officer/Regional Director Africa. He added that Cabo Verde’s qualification showed the importance of providing more playing opportunities for national teams, which is one of FIFA’s Strategic Objectives. “Travel, accommodation, staff, material… it all costs money. Twenty years ago, they played two or three games a year and that's not enough. Now, they play constantly, they are prepared – it's good."

FIFA Forward has also funded artificial pitches in the Santa Cruz municipality on Santiago island which have benefited multiple teams in the region and provided more opportunities for young people to play, plus the renovation of the Adérito Sena Stadium, on the island of São Vicente. This included upgraded dressing rooms and spectator-friendly grounds to enable the national team to host a qualifier for the FIFA World Cup 2022™. The FCF’s headquarters and training centre have been upgraded. Indeed, Cabo Verde were one of the teams to play in the first FIFA Series in 2024 – a pilot project designed to facilitate friendly matches between teams of different confederations, who don’t usually get the chance to play each other.

Bubista said that qualifying for the FIFA World Cup had lifted the entire country. “It’s a victory that will lift our self-esteem,” he said. “We know we’re still dealing with a lot of difficulties here. We’re a small country, but it’s only small on the map… a small country with a big heart.”