Why does Manuel Estêvão Sanches play for Cape Verde?

Born in Lisbon, Portugal · Citizenship: Portugal

Short answer

Manuel Estêvão Sanches represents Cape Verde even though he was born in Portugal. FIFA rules allow a player to represent any country whose nationality he holds, provided he has a family or residency connection to it; he committed to Cape Verde at senior level.

Birthplace and citizenship

Manuel Estêvão Sanches was born in Lisbon, Portugal.

Being born in Portugal normally gives a player the right to represent Portugal too, if he holds that nationality. Representing Cape Verde instead usually means a parent or grandparent was born there, or that the player lived there long enough to qualify through residency. Public records do not state which connection applied to Manuel Estêvão Sanches, so we do not guess.

International career path

His international pathway, as recorded on Wikidata:

Cape Verde — senior level, dates unknown

The rules in brief

A player can represent a country if they hold its nationality and have a genuine link to it: birth on its territory, a parent or grandparent born there, or several years of residency. Youth matches do not tie a player to a country. Since 2020, FIFA also lets a player switch once after a small number of senior appearances (no more than three, all before turning 21, none at a World Cup or continental finals) after a three-year wait.