3-0! The small country with a population of 525,000 made history and qualified for the World Cup for the first time, ranking 70th in the FIFA rankings.

In the early morning of October 14, a game that caused a national holiday took place in Cape Verde, Africa, during the African qualifying match between Cape Verde and Swaziland for the US-Canada-Mexico World Cup.

Prior to this, the Prime Minister of Cape Verde has announced a one-day national holiday, allowing all 525,000 citizens to have the opportunity to witness the team’s decisive moment in the World Cup.

Yes, this country with a population of only 525,000 is within striking distance of the US-Canada-Mexico World Cup after the first nine rounds.

A total of 54 teams in the African region participated in the World Cup qualifiers, divided into 9 groups. The first place in each group will directly qualify. Cape Verde is in the same group as Cameroon, Libya, Angola, Mauritius and Swaziland.

After suffering an outrageous misjudgment and drawing 3-3 with Libya in the last round, Cape Verde ranked first in the group with 6 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss, 2 points ahead of second-ranked Cameroon. As long as they defeat Swaziland, which is at the bottom of the group, in the final round, they will lock in the top spot in the group.

The day before the game, Cape Verdean players strolled around the country's most famous traditional market, interacting with stall owners and the public, and everyone cheered for the players.

Without any suspense, Cape Verde defeated Swaziland 3-0, with 7 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss. It ranked first in Group D and qualified for the US-Canada-Mexico World Cup.

It is worth noting that in the latest world rankings, Cape Verde ranked 70th, which is a significant improvement compared to before.

FIFA previously wrote in an article on its official website: "The expansion to 48 teams will give more teams the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup. For the remote island country of Cape Verde, what was once a dream is now about to become a reality."

The Cape Verde Football Association was established in 1982. After that, FIFA The Forward Fund has assisted the development of football in Cape Verde, building an artificial turf pitch in the city of Santa Cruz on the island of Santiago to benefit teams in the region and provide more playing opportunities for young people.

The FIFA Forward Fund also supported the renovation of the Adrito Sena Stadium in São Vicente Island, upgrading the dressing rooms and seating, allowing Cape Verde to qualify for World Cup qualifying.

Not only that, the headquarters and training center of the Cape Verde Football Association have also been upgraded. Recently, Cape Verde has also benefited from FIFA's support by participating in the FIFA World Cup Series - a pilot project aimed at promoting friendly matches between different teams that would not normally have the opportunity to play against each other.

Now, Cape Verde follows in the footsteps of Jordan and Uzbekistan and becomes one of the three teams to participate in the World Cup for the first time after the expansion to 48 teams.

Of course, Cape Verde is not the country with the smallest population to participate in the World Cup. This record is still held by Iceland. As of 2024, Iceland's total population is 404,600.

Historically, players born in Cape Verde or of Cape Verdean descent have shone in previous World Cups, such as Nani from Portugal, the famous French star Vieira, and Gerson Fernandez representing Switzerland.