Group H fixtures
Mon 15 Jun17:00 BST
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Sun 21 Jun23:00 BST
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
Sat 27 Jun01:00 BST
NRG Stadium, Houston
Key players to watch
Ryan Mendes
FW · Iğdır FK · C
Captain and the face of Cape Verdean football — all-time record holder for both caps (94) and goals (22), leading the line at his first and only World Cup.
Captain · talisman
Dailon Livramento
FW · Casa Pia
At 24, the main attacking reference and top scorer in qualifying, with decisive goals against Cameroon and Eswatini.
Lead striker
Logan Costa
CB · Villarreal
The squad's only top-five-league player; a commanding centre-back returning from a long ACL injury to anchor the defence.
Defensive leader
Jamiro Monteiro
MF
Energetic, technical midfielder who drives the team and chips in with goals from deep.
Midfield engine
Roberto Lopes
CB
Experienced, Ireland-born defender ('Pico') who has been a mainstay of the rise through qualifying.
Defensive mainstay
Vozinha
GK
Vice-captain and, at 39, the oldest player in the squad; a calm, experienced presence in goal.
Veteran keeper
Goals & output
Limited at this level: Livramento is the main striker, with Mendes and Monteiro supporting and set pieces important. Against Spain and Uruguay, chances will be at a premium.
Set-piece duties
Free kicks
Jamiro Monteiro
Dead-ball duties lean on captain Ryan Mendes and Jamiro Monteiro. For a side that will see little of the ball against this group, set pieces and counters are among their few realistic goal routes — though the picture is less settled than for bigger nations.
Discipline read
▲Disciplined and hard to beat — Bubista's whole identity is defensive organisation and compactness. Fouls come from protecting the block.
Recent form
History-makers on their tournament debut after seven failed attempts, and one of the smallest nations ever to reach a World Cup (population around 525,000). They topped a tough CAF group ahead of Cameroon by a single point, having already reached the AFCON quarter-finals in 2023. Bubista — CAF Coach of the Year 2025 — has built a tight, resilient side largely from the European diaspora.
Head-to-head history
v Spain (15 Jun)
No prior meetings
A first-ever meeting against the reigning European champions — a daunting but historic debut in Atlanta.
v Uruguay (21 Jun)
No prior meetings
First meeting; cracking a two-time world champion will be a tall order in Miami.
v Saudi Arabia (27 Jun)
No prior meetings
Effectively a first meeting and, on paper, Cabo Verde's most realistic shot at a result in Houston.
Underdog & betting read
The verdict
Huge underdogs in a group of death, but a genuinely well-drilled one. The realistic ambition is to compete and write history; a point against Saudi Arabia or anyone else would be monumental. Markets point firmly to opponent handicaps and unders.