Cape Verde has become the second smallest nation to reach the World Cup after the islanders beat Eswatini 3-0 at home.
The victory meant the Blue Sharks secured top spot in their qualifying group and a place in the 2026 finals, ahead of continental heavyweights Cameroon.
Dailon Livramento opened the scoring for the hosts in Praia, converting a loose ball inside the six-yard box early in the second half, and Willy Semedo scored on a volley shortly after.
Veteran defender Stopira added the third in stoppage time before the final whistle sparked joyous scenes of celebration at the 15,000-capacity National Stadium.
Cape Verde, an archipelago of 10 islands in the Atlantic Ocean, with a population of just under 525,000 according to the latest World Bank figures, gained independence from Portugal in 1975 and first attempted to reach the 2002 World Cup, held in Japan and South Korea.
The team has punched above its weight at the African Cup of Nations (Afcon) in recent years, reaching the quarter-finals on its debut in 2013 and again in 2023, and is currently ranked 70th in the world rankings.
Iceland, which participated in the 2018 World Cup in Russia, is the only country with a smaller population that qualified for the world event.
Last month’s 1-0 home win over Cameroon in the capital put the islanders in first position in Group D, knowing that a win in the remaining two matches would secure them a place in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
The Blue Sharks missed their first chance to qualify last Wednesday against Libya when they drew 3-3, coming back from two goals down in Tripoli before being denied an almost certain winner in added time by a controversial offside call.
But the Cape Verdeans took advantage of their second chance in Praia against winless Eswatini and became the sixth African team to qualify for next year’s finals.
Cape Verde president José MarÃa Neves was on hand as the home crowd endured a nervous first half in which Livramento sent a shot wide and Jamiro Monteiro was denied by Eswatini goalkeeper Khanyakwezwe Shabalala.
But the tension dissipated as soon as Livramento broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half, prompting passionate celebrations with the crowd that were repeated when Semedo converted Diney’s knockdown.