Tiny Cabo Verde's first-ever World Cup match is an absolute must-watch

Jeremy Beren

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Tiny Cabo Verde's first-ever World Cup match is an absolute must-watch image

Marc Vasconcellos/The Enterprise / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2026 FIFA World Cup draw was completed Friday, and the competition's debutants found out which groups they were placed in ahead of the newly-expanded tournament.

This summer will see the largest World Cup ever, with 48 teams participating and the top two finishers from each of the 12 groups advancing directly to the knockout stage -- in addition to the top eight third-placed teams.

For nations like Haiti, Uzbekistan and Cape Verde (known as Cabo Verde in FIFA competition), it marks an immediate opportunity to make history that will be felt for generations to come.

Cabo Verde, currently 68th in the FIFA rankings, found out they will playing top-ranked Spain to begin their first World Cup journey.

Spain, the winners of the European Championship in 2024, are one of the favorites to win the World Cup and were drawn from Pot 1 into Group H -- where Cabo Verde, from Pot 4, were announced as La Roja's first opponent at the first World Cup to be held in North America for 32 years.

It's not a bad way for the Blue Sharks, from an island nation off the coast of West Africa, to introduce themselves to a global stage after they tore through qualifying to reach the finals of the World Cup.

Cabo Verde amassed an impressive 8-1-1 record in CAF qualifying, scoring 16 goals and conceding only eight.

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Senior Editor