Cape Verde national football team
Blue Sharks · WAFU-A · Elo 1592 (12th in Africa)
About the Cape Verde national team
The Cape Verde national football team (Blue Sharks) represents Cape Verde in men's international football and competes in CAF's West African Zone A (WAFU-A) region.
In total, Cape Verde have played 241 recorded internationals since 1959: 89 wins (36.9%), 59 draws and 93 defeats, with 264 goals scored and 275 conceded.
Cape Verde have played at 4 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments without winning the title.
They have qualified for the FIFA World Cup once (2026).
Our Elo rating puts Cape Verde on 1592 points: 12th in Africa and 86th in the world. Their highest rating (1650) came in 2026.
Garry Rodrigues is the leading scorer in our match records with 6 goals for Cape Verde.
Next matches
All fixtures →- Cape Verde
24 Mar
Mali
Preview · 2027 AFCON qualification
Recent results
All results →LWWLDDDLLL
| Date | Opponent | Score | Competition | Venue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sep 2026 | L |  Rwanda |
1–2 | AFCON Qualification | H · Praia |
| 25 Sep 2026 | L | Mali |
1–3 | AFCON Qualification | A · Bamako |
| 3 Jul 2026 | L |  Argentina |
2–3 | FIFA World Cup | N · Miami Gardens |
| 26 Jun 2026 | D |  Saudi Arabia |
0–0 | FIFA World Cup | N · Houston |
| 21 Jun 2026 | D |  Uruguay |
2–2 | FIFA World Cup | N · Miami Gardens |
| 15 Jun 2026 | D |  Spain |
0–0 | FIFA World Cup | N · Atlanta |
| 6 Jun 2026 | L |  Bermuda |
0–3 | International Friendly | N · East Hartford |
| 31 May 2026 | W |  Serbia |
3–0 | International Friendly | N · Lisbon |
| 30 Mar 2026 | W |  Finland |
1–1p | FIFA Series | N · Auckland |
| 27 Mar 2026 | L |  Chile |
2–4 | FIFA Series | N · Auckland |
| 17 Nov 2025 | L |  Egypt |
1–1p | Al Ain International Cup | N · Al Ain |
| 13 Nov 2025 | L |  Iran |
0–0p | Al Ain International Cup | N · Al Ain |
Key facts
- At home
- 38W 15D 20L (52% wins)
- Away
- 20W 20D 49L (22% wins)
- Neutral venues
- 31W 24D 24L (39% wins)
- Goals per match
- 1.10 scored, 1.14 conceded
- Clean sheets
- 85 (35%)
- Failed to score
- 87 matches (36%)
- Most common score
- 1–0 (30 times)
- vs Europe
- 7W 8D 1L
- vs South America
- 1W 1D 3L
- vs Asia
- 2W 3D 0L
- vs North America
- 1W 0D 1L
- Best decade
- 2010s (42% wins)
- First recorded match
- Gambia 3–2 Cape Verde (1959)
Where Cape Verdean players were born
All birthplaces →Each dot is a birthplace; bigger dots mean more players. Players born outside Africa are on the born abroad page.
Active Cape Verdean internationals
Where they play →| Player | Position | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vozinha | Goalkeeper | Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo | 93 | 0 |
| Djaniny Tavares | Forward |  Cruz Azul | – | – |
| Julio Tavares | Forward | Al-Faisaly FC | – | – |
| Nivaldo Alves Freitas Santos | Defender |  C.F. União de Coimbra | 20 | 0 |
| Carlos Silveira da Graça | Defender | Associação Académica de Coimbra – O.A.F. | – | – |
| Kuca Miranda | Wing half | C.D. Feirense | 15 | 1 |
| Armindo Rodrigues Mendes Furtado | Forward | Associação Académica de Coimbra – O.A.F. | 1 | 0 |
| Jolina Amani | Forward | S.C. Braga | – | – |
Players with an open club spell and a senior cap on record; not an official squad list.
Top scorers
Full list →- Garry Rodrigues2017–2025
- Arlindo Gomes Semedo2003–2005
- Héldon Ramos2013–2015
- Dailon Livramento2025–2026
- Jamiro Monteiro2021–2024
- Ryan Mendes2021–2024
- Carlos Morais Caló2005–2005
- Eduardo Fernando Gomes2008–2008
- Júlio Tavares2021–2022
- Stopira2021–2025
Record by competition
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Titles | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFCON Qualification | 65 | 25 | 12 | 28 | 74 | 74 | 1992–2026 | |
| World Cup Qualification | 50 | 23 | 7 | 20 | 58 | 60 | 2000–2025 | |
| Amílcar Cabral Cup | 50 | 15 | 13 | 22 | 45 | 62 | 1979–2007 | |
| Africa Cup of Nations | 16 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 2013–2024 | |
| FIFA World Cup | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2026–2026 | |
| FIFA Series | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 2024–2026 |
Notable Cape Verdean players
All players →
VozinhaCape Verde · Club Social y Deportivo Colo-Colo
Ryan MendesCape Verde · b. 1990
Garry Mendes RodriguesCape Verde · b. 1990
Jamiro MonteiroCape Verde · b. 1993
BubistaCape Verde · b. 1970
Zé LuísCape Verde · b. 1991
StopiraCape Verde · b. 1988
Fernando VarelaCape Verde · b. 1987
Djaniny TavaresCape Verde · Cruz Azul
ValdoCape Verde · b. 1981
Julio TavaresCape Verde · Al-Faisaly FC
Héldon RamosCape Verde · b. 1988
Frequently asked questions
What is the nickname of the Cape Verde national team?
Cape Verde are nicknamed the Blue Sharks.
How many times have Cape Verde won AFCON?
Cape Verde have won the Africa Cup of Nations 0 times.
Have Cape Verde played at the World Cup?
Yes, Cape Verde have played at 1 World Cup (2026).
Who is the top scorer for Cape Verde?
In our match database, Garry Rodrigues leads with 6 goals. Goal data is most complete for tournament matches.
What is the biggest win in Cape Verde history?
Cape Verde 7–1 São Tomé and Príncipe on 13 June 2015 (AFCON Qualification).