For the first time, Cape Verde is in the World Cup. After securing a 3-0 victory over Eswatini on the final day of the qualifiers, the small island nation was overcome with euphoria, which naturally spread to the Cape Verdean community in Luxembourg.
Ronny Souto played in the BGL League for years, and he now coaches in Lorentzweiler. From 2008 to 2013, he played 20 times for the national team, the Blue Sharks, so he knows firsthand what success means for this nation; as he says: “We’ve been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time.”
Cape Verde has come close to qualifying for the World Cup before. On the final day of the 2014 qualifiers, they secured their spot in the decisive playoffs by overtaking Tunisia for first place with a 2-0 win. However, a few days later, it was discovered that the Blue Sharks had fielded a suspended player, resulting in their disqualification.
It was a bitter moment in the association's history, but one that ultimately made it stronger. In 2022, they reached the round of 16 at the Africa Cup, and in 2024 they reached the quarterfinals. Cape Verde's recent World Cup qualification is no surprise and the result of years of hard work. According to Souto, this milestone had been years in the making.
He describes that this progress can largely be attributed to the growing number of Cape Verdean players who have moved into professional football, especially in Spain, the Netherlands, and other European countries. Among them is Logan Costa of Villarreal, who returned in May after recovering from an ACL injury. Other key members of the squad include Wagner Pina, Telmo Arcanjo, and Sidny Lopes Cabral, all of whom compete in European leagues.
According to Ronny Souto, alongside the ever-increasing number of professional players, the working conditions of the technical staff and the football infrastructure have also been continuously improved in recent years.
Luxembourg is home to a large Cape Verdean community, for whom the World Cup has become a major source of excitement and pride. As Souto says, "Whether in Cape Verde or in Luxembourg, everyone is waiting for it to finally begin. We all stand behind our country."
After Iceland and Curaçao, Cape Verde is the third-smallest country ever to take part in a World Cup. Accordingly, expectations aren't too high before the tournament, and Cape Verde's group is certainly not the easiest. Souto admits that "The group with Spain, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay is extremely challenging, especially since Cape Verde has to play Spain in the first match. That's a tough start."
Nevertheless, the Atlantic island state of nearly 600,000 people need not hide, says Ronny Souto. "Nothing is impossible", he says. "You never know what might happen. Why not aim to collect the points required to advance from the group stage, even though it will naturally be a difficult task?” Whatever the outcome, Souto concluded, “Just being there is enormous.”
Not only are Spain the favorites in Group H, but as the reigning European champions, they are also among the leading contenders to win their second World Cup title since 2010. They have a strong lineup in every position. Much of the attention is on 18-year-old star Lamine Yamal, who has recently dealt with minor injuries but appears fit for the start of the tournament. Head coach Luis de la Fuente included seven Barcelona players in his squad and none from their traditional rivals, Real Madrid.
Uruguay, two-time world champions, are heading to their fifth consecutive World Cup. Several experienced players, including Edinson Cavani, Luis Suárez, and Diego Godín, will not be participating, unlike in the last tournament. This meant that coach Marcelo Bielsa had to build a new team centered on midfielder Fede Valverde. Although they successfully concluded the World Cup qualifiers without major problems, their recent form reflects these changes. In their last four friendlies, La Celeste has scored only three goals and failed to win a single match. It remains to be seen how they will perform in their opening match against Saudi Arabia.
At the last World Cup, Saudi Arabia was the only team to beat the tournament's eventual champions, Argentina, causing a major upset. Once again, the team is difficult to assess this year. Right-back Saud Abdulhamid of RC Lens is the only player in the squad who plays in Europe. The rest play in the Saudi Pro League, which has become considerably more competitive in recent years thanks to major investments. Therefore, this team should not be underestimated this year either.
